Lucy 'In the sky'

'Delusions Of Grandeur' You may be able to help?

2012-02-26T12:23:00.001Z

I am really pleased with the results of my latest 'Fete accompli' in the Granny Chic, Granny Stripe department. It marks my tenth dabbling with 'design' adventures. I have decided albeit tentatively to go up a notch and see where I can 'go' with this 'design'. So for now I will keep it a 'secret'. I am not good at secrets of any description, I can't keep them and if anyone is trying to keep one from me, it darn near kills me! I have a Monday Birthday coming up at the beginning of March, I am not overly keen on birthdays and I really don't like Mondays so I have to be good to myself. I am old enough to try the spirit of 'She who dares wins'! Life is full of 'What ifs?' I can give myself a birthday gift of being brave, risking failure and trying something new. Really what have I got to lose?
Now where do you come in to assist me with my 'Delusions of Grandeur'? I could really do with the equivalent of 'Willy Wonka's secret team of Oompa Loompas'. I could really do with 3-5 crocheting Oompa Loompas to test this 'Top Secret' new pattern for me. I can e-mail a 'pdf' of the pattern to you if you are interested and I promise it should be easy, quick and fairly pain free. You will need scraps of DK yarn / worsted weight. If you are interested in becoming a trusted crocheting Oompa Loompa please apply formally in writing, via the 'comments box' and leave a method for me to contact you, either Ravelry ID, e-mail or Facebook. I will have your credentials checked over by my Security Team (consisting of . . . . me) and will get the confidentiality agreement drawn up.
Thanks.
Now back to reality and the 'Sunday Roast', my troops are starving!

Edit: Great News! The Troops have all been fed and I have a 'Team' of willing ~~victim~~ Crochet Oompa Loompas. Thank you very much. I will be in touch this evening. XXX

National Chip Week Celebrations

2012-02-25T17:32:00.000Z

This is what I find most mornings. I photographed these this morning, before I touched them. How clever of my Chickie Wicks to lay them all neatly in a row, waiting for me to collect. Good, clever girls.

My daffodils are multiplying in the Spring sunshine in spite of all the danger, as they are under almost constant attack from a child, a dog or chickens. The backdoor has been open all day and the dog has been snoozing in the garden for the first time in months. My parents popped down as my Dad wanted some of my Raspberry canes to transplant, today was a good day for pottering in the garden. The chickens enjoyed dust baths in the raised beds nearly burying themselves in the soil and flapping madly. They better make the most of those raised bed dust baths because I have been on Ebay looking for 'vegetable protection solutions'. My other half constructed a pretty serious looking fence last week straight across the middle of the garden. To say he was a little miffed about all the Crappity Crap the chickens create would be an understatement! It is starting to look like Alcatraz out there! Now I just have to solve the problem of their wanton vandalism of the vegetable beds. My chickens are keen gardeners, a bit too keen. I can forgive them as their eggs are delicious, not to mention they are clucking cute!
For lunch we celebrated 'National Chip Week' in style.

You really can't beat homemade chips with a fried egg. I was going to use a Parsley garnish for the purpose of the 'Egg and Chips' photo shoot but I didn't want to 'over egg my pudding' and the chickens have had all the parsley anyway!
I am also working on another small crochet project, in among the madness. It should be ready for revealing soon, today or tomorrow. The problem with my Granny Square/ Granny Stripe addiction is there are a lot of ends to sew in! I hope you are enjoying a relaxing weekend. It feels like Sunday to me today, so officially I am having a long weekend as I get to do Sunday all over again tomorrow. Yippee! Hoorah for delusion and confusion.

'Cherry Pie' Day Friday and Hooray it is National Chip Week!

2012-02-24T07:39:00.000Z

This Pie is proof that beauty is skin deep. It pie may not be the most beautiful of pies on the outside, but, oh my! On the inside it is full of juicy, cherry lovliness. Now this is what I am talking about. . . . this is what Pie Day Fridays are made for.

This pie was far far more popular than Pilchard Pie. Cherry Pie with a bit of Squirty Cream, what more could you ask for?. . . Well yeah . . . ok. . . . maybe a nice bit of clotted cream, or double cream or ice cream. The boys deserved a Cherry Pie before they became 'Pie Phobic'.

Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry
2 jars of Dark Cherries in Syrup (470g jars)
20g of cornflour
30 mls of water
25 g sugar
egg and milk beaten together to glaze the pie.

Method
Strain the syrup from the cherries and place in a pan. Warm the pan of syrup, until it reaches a slow simmer. Add the sugar and stir. Mix the cornflour with the water and add it to the syrup, simmer and stir for a couple of minutes until the syrup has thickened. Gently stir the cherries into the syrup and let it cool. Line your pie dish with pastry. Put the cherries in the pie and top with a pastry lid. Brush the lid with a mixture of beaten egg and milk.
Bake in a medium to hot oven for 30 - 40 minutes until the pie is golden brown and shouting 'Eat Me!' when you look at it!

Your comments on yesterdays post made me laugh, yep I was/ am happy, sunshine and Spring flowers are meant to do that! I also discovered wisdom in my Doormat. . . . If you are going to be a doormat . . . there is nothing to stop you being a glam, happy doormat. Hoorah for doormats everywhere. Love your doormat today! I think National Doormat Day would be good, the one day where you pay homage to trusty old doormats, a bit like 'Mothers Day'. Talking of National Days...my day got even happier when I discovered Here at Lavender and Lovage it is National Chip Week! Blimey life is so bright you gotta wear shades! Pancake day and National Chip Week in the same week. If National Chip Week has passed you by so far, the great news is you still have time to catch up. Chips chips chips! Eat as many as you can! Chip Butty for lunch and Egg and chips for tea! Now that is fine dining! Pop over to Lavender and Lovage for fascinating chip facts and a new spin on the humble chip 'Crispy Squashed Chips' I am definitely crisping and squashing my chips from now on.
Happy Pie Day Friday Folks. . . hope you are all having a good one. X

Welcome Home

2012-02-23T12:58:00.000Z

Look at my lovely new Door Mat. It is the best door mat I have ever seen. Most 'doormats' are just taken for granted, walked all over and nobody pays any attention to them. Nobody could overlook this doormat, she is almost too good to step on. I think I will find it painful if people wipe their feet on her. I will need a doormat before we get to 'The Doormat'. Yep I like my new doormat. Every time I come home I think she is going to make me smile.

I couldn't resist a lovely new cushion also. What a cushion. Just what I needed, I am sure I will find it is just what I needed. I am not usually patriotic, but this country is celebrating this year so the Union Jacks are creeping in through my front door, albeit non traditional Union Jacks. Our Union Jack really would look better in shades of pink! Red, white and blue is soooo yesterday! You gotta have a love heart bang in the middle too. Her Majesty should really think about moving with the times and having a change...the future is not orange, it is pink with love hearts!

Today there is the warmest sunshine we have had in quite a while. It has brought out the first blooms in the garden. You need sunglasses for this photograph, my camera does not seem to like yellow very much. It does like purple though.

Very pretty. A post Winter tonic, surely Spring has sprung? Before I leave you to continue with the Spring Cleaning, here is a little Spring ditty to end with....

Spring has sprung,

The Grass has riz,

I wonder where

Them birdies is?

There seem to be a few versions of this little poem around and it's origins are debated.

Question - Do Chickens like Pancake Day?

2012-02-21T17:53:00.000Z

Answer:

You bet they do!

Euan learnt a lesson in self moderation, I hope. After eight pancakes he waddled away from the table. Henry learnt his lesson last year he ate just four pancakes this year.

We ate our Pancakes the traditional way, with sugar and lemon juice. (The chickens had theirs plain).
The Pancakes were rolled up like fat cigars.

I have never given up anything for Lent. This year I think we may give up Pancakes.

Purple Haze 'Mini Granny Square Scarf' - 'Tah Dah'

2012-02-19T14:10:00.000Z

Yeah! Finally, 'Purple Haze' Scarf 'Tah Dah'!

I had a willing model to demonstrate the versatility of the scarf and to demonstrate some of the ways it can be worn. I was going to model myself but the photographer repeatedly managed to take shots of me looking exasperated and he did not manage to capture my natural radiance and beauty!

He found it some what incredulous I wanted to take more than one photograph.

By style three we were getting a rather forced smile, well it could be termed more of a grimace really!

This was the final shot of the photo shoot and it is clear the model has that far away look and has drifted off. Nice pose though. I like the Italian Widow look, this scarf is long enough to keep my head, ears and neck warm.

78 Mini Granny Squares of Purpleness. 468 ends to sew in of Purpleness! I have worked on it in the car, on a train, in waiting rooms...what am I going to do without all this purpleness in my life...certainly not a bed spread. (Ah I know I have a little bit of Alpaca to spin!) The journey all started here 'Purple Haze Crochet Craze' in Glastonbury High Street with a chance viewing of an 'On Sale' scarf in a shop window.

I can't tell you how many times I thought 'Why didn't I just buy that scarf?'

Should you wish to replicate my experience the instructions are here:

‘Purple Haze’ Mini Granny Square Scarf

Materials: Double Knit (worsted weight) Yarn in colours of your own choice.

Hook Size: 4.5mm

Abbreviations: (UK Crochet terminology)

Chain - ch

Double Crochet – dc

Treble Crochet – tr

Single Crochet – sc

Instructions:

For the Mini Granny Squares: Make 78

For the first round: Make 6 chain. Join with a slip stitch. Ch3, tr2, ch1, tr3, ch1, tr3, ch1 tr3, join the round with a slip stitch and change colour.

For the second round: Chain 3, Tr 2, (Tr3 into the corner space, ch1 tr3). Repeat twice. Tr3 into the final corner and join the round with a ss. Change yarn colour.

Third round: Chain 3, Tr 2, tr 3 into the ch space of the previous round. (Tr3 into the corner space, ch1 tr3). Repeat twice. Tr3 into the final corner and join the round with a ss. Fasten off. Sew in the ends.

To make up: Sew the squares together into 23 rows of three.

Work two rows of dc around the entire scarf to make a border.

Apply Fringe: I used nine tassels along each end.

(I used a steam iron to block the scarf but as it is acrylic I did not touch the fabric with the iron, I used a steam setting and steamed the scarf about 1cm from the fabric, pulling and stretching it into shape as I did so).

Pie 'In the Sky' Day Friday

2012-02-17T09:10:00.000Z

There won't be a pie today in this house. My 'One Woman Decluttering Mission' is to blame. More of that after the 'Pie' which is actually Quiche. I made this last week. It is a very simple and tasty 'Leek Quiche'. Very few ingredients but a very tasty 'pie'. Quiche is not appreciated by my brood but it is appreciated by my parents so I had half and they had half.

Leek Quiche:
Ingredients:
Shortcrust Pastry Base (blind baked)
Filling:
1 Leek finely chopped
1 Onion finely chopped
Butter for frying
150g strong Cheddar cheese, grated.
2 eggs (From your bestest Chickie Friends)
100ml milk

Method:
Gently fry the onion and leek gently in butter, until they are soft but not coloured. Spread over the base of the quiche. Sprinkle with the grated cheese. Beat the eggs with the milk. Pour the eggs and milk over the quiche filling. Cook in a medium/hot oven for 20-30 minutes until it golden brown on top. Enjoy.

I feel I must take this opportunity to update you with my 'One Woman Mission' to Declutter the house. It certainly cures your insomnia! Not that I had insomnia, but I did have to have an early night, which has meant this morning I was awake before the Sun had put his hat on and before the birds! Yesterday I achieved what I set out to do, declutter my room and make trips to the tip and the Charity Shop.

I made a list using a tally chart of what I manged to declutter. There were 71 items for the chartity shop.

13 tops/shirts/jumpers
5 T shirts
3 pairs of children's trousers
3 Cardigans
25 books
14 magazines
1 Toiletry set
3 bottles of Body Lotion
2 preschool games
1 video
1 blank audio cassette

71 items to the Charity Shop! I have a bit of a thing for round numbers...so today I may look for another 29 things, then that will make a nice round 100. Which sounds fantastic. I must have got rid of over 100 items but some of it went to the 'Tip' so sadly destined for landfill. This included:

Very old clothes
2 Dead Vacuums (It is a long story!)
Old work files
Floppy Disks
A black sack of general junk

I also recycled a big box of paper. I rediscovered parts of my bedroom carpet! I have also found some lost treasures, including a favourite crochet hook and bookmark. I actually found cash! I also found coupons £15 and saving stamps £30 (of course you have to be disorganised enough in the first place to lose them)! It was good to be reunited! It was like finding a fiver in your old coat pocket! All was going well and I was feeling rather smug. Euan has been very complementary about my efforts and has been and had another look today and consolidated his praise! Yes that's right all was going well.... I had three loads of washing to do last night. I put the first load in my trusty old tumble dryer...it is older than my oldest son so that makes it about 17 years old...well its given up the ghost! Hasta la vista Baby! It will be destined for landfill ASAP! I did not wish to declutter large electrical appliances! Today I will have to go and find a new one. It puts the stoppers on my 'One Woman Mission' to Declutter, it interferes with 'Pie Making' and it makes a mockery of delusions of imminent 'Tah Dah!' crochet moments.

Five of My favourite Blogs Today

2012-02-16T10:44:00.000Z

I need to say a big than you to Jude over at A Trifle Rushed because I won a prize. I won this great book in Jude's Give Away. I love a Trifle Rushed there are great recipes, cooking tips and ideas. How exciting is it to win a prize? It really did cheer me up when this arrived in the post. I have never won a Blog Give Away, but now I have. I am hoping to be creating professional looking iced biscuits sometime in the near future.

Kanelstrand - Declutter Your Life I spotted this article this morning, after yesterday's efforts. It is a very useful article if you are on a one woman mission to declutter. It has motivated me to keep going today.

The Zero Waste Home Someone was kind enough to e-mail me a link to this website. Click on the 'About' section, scroll down a little and watch the short but very inspirational video. This is fascinating. Never mind decluttering, this opened up a whole new world to me. Zero waste is 'Food for thought' indeed. It seems unobtainable to be but there are some fantastic ideas to work towards.

Simply Life is having a 'Give Away'. Many of you have said you find spinning fascinating, well here is your chance to win a little starter kit of a Spindle and Fibre. I think Claire is being very generous here and it is a great prize for spinners and non spinners alike. Do pop over and have a look. Good Luck!

Running Away - I'll Help You Pack Finally on this blog this morning is just a great story regarding Universal Law. Dreams can come true. A very quick uplifting read. It made me feel happy anyway.

Now I am off to continue my mission to declutter. I intend to count the items I am getting rid of today. I am hoping it will involve a trip to both the Charity shop and the town's local tip. Which will all result in more space for ~~fibre~~ good, clean, simple living! Yippeee, how exciting. It is going to go something like...half an hour and a cup of tea....half an hour and a cup of tea....half an hour and a cup of tea.
I am so close to a fantabulous Crochet Tah Dah moment, but working on it is going to be reward after decluttering. It is taking all my willpower as I am not good at delayed gratification. Hope you are all having a good one. It is bright and sunny here and all the little birds are busy in the garden. X

Creating A Pretty Crafty Home - Hmmm Not Quite!

2012-02-15T17:05:00.000Z

I am not sure I am cut out for this Making a Pretty Crafty Home malarky. This is an after shot! I am to ashamed to show you any of my before shots of anywhere in this house! I tidied the whole kitchen this morning for about an hour and a half, which is a housework marathon by my definition. I went in all the drawers of Crappitty Crap and cleared off nooks and crannies. The drawers actually open now! Disgraceful. I found all sorts of ancient paperwork and dusty stuff! These little shelves were a disgrace, piled high with junk. I know they look like they need another de-clutter. Now the kitchen is the tidiest room in the house I will have to tackle the living room. I am finding Tina's advice is crucial, to tackle areas in small chunks. If I look at is as a whole I find it soul destroying and don't do any of it! I really think I am allergic to housework. I have been reading lots of articles and find 'Kanelstrand' a really interesting blog. This article Bliss Through Innermost Simplicity was fascinating, particularly the video link to here to 'Innermost House':

Armed with my black bags, I am on a one woman mission to throw everything away! Not my yarn, fleece, needles, hooks, spinning wheels or any of my crafting paraphernalia though. Hmmm come to think of it it may be that creating all the mess. Surely after all this tidying a girls deserves a bit of Yarn fun!

Hope You Are Ready

2012-02-13T20:48:00.000Z

Hug in a Mug - Valentine Mug Cosy Free 'Pattern'

2012-02-12T19:51:00.000Z

Valentines Day is rather like Pilchard Pie in this house! I am the only one that likes it! I really like this time of year and it is all about baby lambs and birds with nesting materials in their beaks, Daffodil shoots and Snowdrops. Soon we will be admiring the Spring Violets and getting busy in the garden again with flowers springing everywhere. Rule number one regarding Valentines Day or any other day for that matter, is 'You have to love yourself'. So if you don't have anyone to make this 'Mug Cosy' for, make it for yourself, you know you want one. They take little over an hour to rustle up and are very easy. They certainly add a bit of extra love to your Hot Chocolate.

‘Hug in a Mug’

Materials: Scraps of Double knit Yarn in Chocolate Brown and Red. Three buttons.

Hook Size: 4.5mm

Abbreviations:

Chain - ch

Double Crochet – dc

Treble Crochet – tr

Single Crochet – sc

Instructions:

For the Mug Cosy in ‘Chocolate’ coloured yarn.

Make 15 chain. Turn. Skip the first stitch work a dc into each ch. 14 dc. 1 ch turn.

Work 1 dc into the back of each previous dc (14 stitches) 1 ch to turn.

Repeat until your work is long enough to fit around the mug of your choice.

To Make Button Holes:

Work first 2 dc then work 5 ch, skip the next 3 dc and work the next 2dc, make 5 ch, skip next 2 dc, work the next 2 dc, make 5 ch skip the next 2 dc and work the last 2 dc. Fasten off.

To make the Heart in Red Yarn:

Ch 5, join them with a slip stitch.

First Round: Ch 3 then work 10 tr into the circle.

Second Round: Sl st into the next tr, (1 dc, 2 tr) into the next tr, (2 tr, 1 dc) into the next tr, sl st into the next tr, (1 dc, 2 tr) into next tr, (2 tr, 1 dc) into the next tr, sl st into the next 3 tr. Fasten off.

Making up:

Sew in all ends.

Sew the three buttons into place.

Sew the heart motif onto the mug cosy.

Wild Fibres - From Nettles to Soy Silk

2012-02-11T21:51:00.000Z

Teresinha with a Flax stook from flax grown on her allotment

Today we went to our monthly meeting at The Birmingham and District Guild of Weaving, Spinning and Dyeing. It was a members morning where we get a chance to work and chat together on our own projects and in the afternoon Teresinha Roberts gave a very interesting, fun and informative talk, Wild Fibres - From Nettles to Soy Silk. Last year she gave a talk 'Wild Fibres - From Angora to Yak'.
Teresinha is a very interesting, knowledgeable and enthusiastic speaker, she asks very thought provoking questions and welcomes questions and discussions from her audience. She also brings masses of samples of plants, fibres, yarn, cordage, knitted and woven samples. These are passed around the group so you get a tactile, hands on experience with fibres you may not ordinarily come across. Teresinha's enthusiasm is quite infectious as she talks about her trials and tribulations with growing her own plants for fibre and dye and preparing them. Today was the first time I have handled flax, cotton, bamboo, corn fibre, soy silk and others. I felt like I learnt a lot in a really great multi-sensory way. I am interested in the concept of preparing plant fibres and have read a little about nettles for fibre. The closest I have got to spinning with nettles is Raime Beaded Yarn Here. Raime is native to Asia and is a close relative of the 'common' Stinging Nettle'. Raime has been grown for at least 6000 years as a fibre plant and it is one of the 'bast' fibres, in that the fibre is made from the inner bark of the plant.

This is my Raime Fibre which is lustrous and lovely. The Fibre is naturally white and therefore does not need to be bleached. I spun it into a sample of beaded yarn here:

I love the look of bamboo fibre and yarn, but not the texture. A fibre I would be interested in experimenting with in the future is Soy Silk. I did not take a notebook with me today and really should have done because I have a head like a sieve where facts and figures are concerned. We discussed the different properties of fibres for example 'Coconut fibre is one of the few fibres that does not corrode in salt water, therefore it is excellent for rope on boats, Kapok, floats and is very useful in life jackets but can be dangerous to transport as it burns very easily. 40kg of Nettles would yield enough fibres to make one shirt! That is a lot of nettles. Teresinha grows her own flax on her allotment as well as many natural dye plants and has also managed to grow her own cotton plant in her conservatory. I would love to grow a cotton plant just to see how he works. I would be delighted when the seed pod popped open to show cotton wool. I do not really have any suitable hot spots in my house though.
It was a very enjoyable day. I managed to get some more spinning done. I spared everyone the 'Dirty Alpaca' that is on my Ashford Kiwi wheel. I took my Ashford Joy, this wheel folds up and is designed to be portable. I love my 'Kiwi' so much I tend to neglect the 'Joy'. I look at her sitting all lonely in the corner and think I should really find her a more loving home. Today we bonded a bit more though and I don't think I would like to part with her. The Kiwi is a little 'work horse' that doesn't mind getting dirty with Alpaca, I don't think the Joy would appreciate me getting her all dirty.

I am sure it is just a case of getting used to using it. It is quite different to spinning on the Kiwi. The Kiwi is double treadle that I can control with just my feet and the joy is single treadle. The Joy also has more ratios (but they are a bit like gears on a bicycle I don't quite understand them). I am trying to finish odd projects and bits and bobs I have lying around, (hmmm, that may take me a while). Today I did manage to finish spinning some fibre that the lady I bought the Joy from kindly gave me. I also Navajo Plied on the Joy for the first time, it felt rather clumsy and I ended up with a skein of considerably over spun yarn.

I can only identify the fibre as wool and silk, I have no idea what sort of wool it is though, I do quite a lot of 'mystery' spinning. Half of the skein is thick and over spun, the other half is not too bad at all.

My Mother has a gift for saying encouraging things to me, as only a Mother can when they can see disappointment or discouragement. When I said 'Oh look at that, it's all lumpy and over spun! What can I use that for now? Nothing!' She replied 'That is fine, it is very nice, it would make a nice stripe on a hat!' So before anyone asks me what I will be making with it, it is going to be a nice stripe on a hat!

Pie Day Friday - Another Under Rated Pie To Try

2012-02-10T09:50:00.000Z

"QUALITY CANNED FISH FOR OVER 50 YEARS. CONTAINS OMEGA 3. GLENRYCK PILCHARDS are of the finest quality and freshly caught from the ocean for canning. "In value for money, GLENRYCK PILCHARDS provide more first-class protein than does beef steak." GLENRYCK PILCHARDS contains more calcium than cow's milk. A serving of GLENRYCK PILCHARDS can provide 33% of the "Recommended Daily Intake". (One can contains four servings). "Omega-3 fatty acids naturally found in GLENRYCK Pilchards add to the dietary value of a good, hearty meal". Allergy Advice Free From Additives, Free From Artificial Preservatives Ingredients South Atlantic Pilchards (64%), Tomato juice from concentrate (34.7%), Salt, Modified Maize Starch, Thickener - Guar Gum, Spices"
(Taken from the Information on the can).

Sounds like good stuff to me. Not to anyone else in the house though. I am continuing with my plight to work my way through our 'Store Cupboards' and the Freezer. If I get on my hands and knees and feel about in the back of the cupboard, I am coming across all sorts of things like these Pilchards. It is a shame to throw food away if it is edible. As a child I can remember eating Pilchard Sandwiches, Pilchard and Tomato Sandwiches, Pilchards on Toast and once a delicious Pilchard Pie made by my Uncle. Uncle Keith whose name was Dave was my dads older brother. There was a lot of that in those days wasn't there? Jack who was Reginald, Nancy who was Kathleen, Bill who was James, I have never really understood how that happens. Uncle Keith went back to being called Dave after about thirty years, but I never got the hang of it, he was always Uncle Keith to me. He sticks out in my memory for many things, he was an ex Paratrooper and suffered with a very bad back. He told me 'You are not safe unless your feet are on the ground!' That makes perfect sense to me. He had four children and I think home cooked nutritious meals that did not break the bank were crucial to many families. I can remember a very tasty Pilchard Pie that he bought to our house for my Dad. Pilchards seem like a 'super' food to me if you read their nutritional resume. My sons would rather go hungry than eat a pilchard though! Not for all the tea in China would they eat a Pilchard. I am on my own again with this Pie. I am really getting the hang of this 'Pie Making' lark and can rustle one up in about ten minutes, I used to think pies were tricky but like anything the more you make them the easier it gets.

Ingredients
2 x 150g Cans of Pilchards in Tomato Sauce
1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
1 Large Onion Peeled and finely chopped
1 small yellow pepper finely diced
1 small red pepper finely diced
1 small green pepper finely diced
1 tablespoon of tomato ketchup
A Jolly good squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Method
Line a pie dish with shortcrust pastry and roll out the top of the pie crust.
Fry the vegetables in olive oil until they are tender. Mix all the ingredients together well and season well to taste.
Put the pie filling in to the pie and place the pastry lid on. I liked decorating the top of my pie with two little smiley fish, with little swishy tails and scales and everything! Ok I had a bit too much fun making little fishies to decorate the pie.

Bake in a medium to hot oven until it is golden.
Serving suggestions:
This pie is tasty hot served with New potatoes and green vegetables such as peas or beans or it is also delicious served cold with a salad.

A Very Chilly Bedtime For Chickens

2012-02-09T19:34:00.000Z

The garden looks very uninviting, the snow from five days ago is all dirty and icy. More snow has been predicted and tonight we have had frozen rain which crackles as it falls. When the light gets to this stage in the evening, three chicken girls waddle their way reluctantly to bed. Kids do not like bedtime and neither do chickens. They have supper each night, if they eat before bed it is supposed to keep them warmer for the night. Tonight they had a can of sweetcorn. They also like 'Chicken Candy':

Mixed Corn

Tonight I thought I would photograph their bedroom for you.

These are not supposed to be their bedroom, these are the nest boxes. I have naughty chickens and they do not all roost on their perches, they use one nest box for laying, always the box on the right and they like to sleep in the other nest box. If more than one chicken needs the nest box at any one time they form an orderly queue rather than lay in the left nest box. I think it is very cute if they are running around the garden and one needs to lay they will run back to the nest box. It is very convenient for me as I do not have to hunt for eggs. They keep the laying side very clean. Even at this very cold, dark time of year they are still laying one egg each a day. I expected them to stop for the winter, I think maybe next year they will stop, because it is their first year and they are young and fit they have just kept going this year. We love our eggs. I don't usually pack the nests with so much straw but it adds insulation for the below zero nights. Chickens can cope with the cold as long as there sleep area is dry. Damp is more harmful to chickens than cold. I use a thick layer of eco-friendly, wood pellet Cat litter to line the indoor part of their coop. It is highly absorbent and goes in the compost bins when it is spent. Organic Chicken Poo is sold by the 5kg and is very expensive at our local, upmarket Garden Centre as it is excellent fertiliser. I point this out to my other half when he moans about the Crapitty Crap everywhere!

When you have more than one chicken you have a pecking order. Poppy is the top of the pecking order with my trio. I am lucky they are all sweet natured but Poppy is definitely the boss. She was the first to come and see what I was messing about at.

Poppy is closely followed everywhere by Daisy. These two spend nearly all of their time together and they they like to sleep huddled together.

Finally Rosie wonders where the other two have gone and comes to investigate. Rosie is like Winnie The Pooh, the bear with very little brain, she acts daft and is the bottom of the pecking order but I think she is actually the cleverest in her own way. She quite literally thinks outside of the box. She seems more interested in people than chickens. She doesn't seem to mind sleeping by herself and I have checked when it is very cold all three sleep together.

It all gets quite cosy at bedtime in the coop. There is no light in there the light is from the flash of my camera. I can tell the chickens apart easily by the coloured rings on their legs. You can see in this photograph Daisy's Nictitating Membrane, chickens have three eyelids on each eye, the Nictitating membrane is translucent and can be drawn across they eye for protection without the chicken losing vision. Chickens are very vocal, I don't mean noisy, I mean they chat a lot and use a wide range of vocalisations. They were very intrigued with my camera at their bedtime and had a little sing about it. I shut them in at night and there is usually a fair bit of shuffling going on before they settle for the night. I have seen a fox pass by my house a couple of times in the last month or two so I like to make sure they are safely tucked up and locked in for the night. I am always pleased to see them in the morning and they are always pleased to see me ( or breakfast). I open their door and they nearly fall over each other tumbling out in such a hurry. They get their breakfast before the rest of us. If it is cold they like a bit of warm porridge for brekkie, nice life if you can get it!

Getting Down and Dirty with Alpaca Fleece

2012-02-08T21:49:00.000Z

Now I know to you that does not look much, to me it is a big deal. It is the sum total of at least six hours spinning, probably nearer eight hours. It is a good job I am not spinning to make a living because we would be on bread and water at the rate I spin. I have not weighed the skein but I would estimate it is about 80g. It is Navajo plied, so that makes it a three ply yarn. It is better than my previous attempts with alpaca in that it is finer. My previous attempts made a chunky yarn and the dog loved that skein and pinched it twice. The bag I am spinning from looks exactly the same as when I started. I am spinning straight from the bag and picking out small amounts of vegetable matter and dirt as I spin. I am saving any fleece that is not for spinning and I will put it out for the birds. There will be chicks in the spring in the most snuggly of nests, they won't want to leave home. My Ashford Kiwi spinning wheel is getting rather mucky and so are my bobbins. It is quite common to spin raw alpaca though as the fleece tends to be dusty rather than filthy. I have to keep washing and scrubbing my hands and using lots of hand cream and olive oil on them. I will wash the skeins to set the twist and clean the yarn.

Technically it is rather 'thick and thin' although I tried my best to get a consistent, even yarn. I am wondering if preparing it before spinning would be a better idea. I am not too smitten with the idea of putting 'dirty' alpaca through my drum carder though. I would be really interested to hear what other spinners do with their alpaca fleece. It is a lovely soft yarn, I will squish it and love it more when it is washed. I am feeling rather daunted by the amount of fleece I have. I am a bit like Gollum with the 'ring' I don't want to part with it. I have fancy notions of large Alpaca cardigans and swishy shawls, winter hats, scarves and gloves, bed socks, tea cosies, you name it I have fancy notions of Alpacaring it! Either my stashing skills are great or my Other half has noticed the nine bags stacked in the shed but is too worried to ask.... Now I can imagine you having a chuckle at my expense when I say, I am not sure if it is my imagination or if spinning this fleece is actually giving me a mild case of hives! It would be just my luck to find I am allergic to it.

Thank My Lucky Stars

2012-02-07T13:22:00.000Z

I have now mastered the art of making Origami Chinese Lucky Stars.

I say mastered the 'Art' with my tongue firmly in my cheek because although I found them pretty tricky at first children can make them with ease. They are not tricky at all once you know how.

These cute little puffed up stars can be used threaded on to cotton to make pretty garlands or they can be given as symbolic gifts of love, luck, or wishes. All you need to do to gift them is find a jar and fill it with lucky stars, the jar needs to be full though. Partially full just does not 'cut the mustard'! Decorated with a pretty jar cover I think they would be well received.

This is my only cheat, I found it much easier to make them with prepared 'Lucky Star Paper Strips'. You can buy a wide selection of these on Ebay quite cheaply. Now I have them as a size template I could use magazines or wrapping paper to make my own paper strips. I have tried to take step by step photographs, in true 'That will do', 'In The Sky' Style the photographs are soooo amateurish Darling! There are some great Lucky Star tutorials out there on the internet, if following this one confuses you! We all need luck, love and wishes though don't we?

First you create a 'knot' right at the end of your paper strip. I learned not to crease the folds too much or you have trouble puffing the stars when they are finished.

You should have a little sticky out bit.

Everyone knows little sticky out bits are not desirable, so just neatly tuck it in.

Once you are all neatly tucked in, turn over, not you! Turn over the 'star' so it looks like this.

You ARE going to make a little flat pentagon. (I am beginning to realise writing 'Origami Tutorials' are not my cup of tea!) Fold your strip up and across to align to the left of the pentagon. If this makes no sense look at the picture, or start searching other tutorials about now!

Turn your 'little pentagon' over and now fold it up and across to align with the right side of the pentagon (remember no sharp creases).

Repeat this to the left, turn it over, to the right, turn it over, to the left, turn it over, to the right, turn it over malarkey, all the way the to the end of your paper strip. What you should be left with is a neat little pentagon with another little sticky out bit.

Tuck it in!

Once you are all neatly tucked in, you need to start tweaking, squeezing and pinching the sides (nails help) to make the points of your star.

Ta dah! You have one cute little puffed up star.

Make him a few hundred friends and you can have a Jar Full or a garland! These are very quick to make once you have practiced a few. Honest Guv! Next week it is 'Half Term Week' and the kids are off school, this might buy you a quiet few moments and I can recommend it as a cheap and cheerful craft for children. If all else fails it is quite relaxing for grown ups and I entered a 'Meditative' state making my 'billion' stars. "To the left, turn it over, to the right, turn it over, to the left, turn it over, to the right, turn it over, tuck your little bit in! And Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze!" Next!

Chickens in the snow

2012-02-06T21:20:00.000Z

Yeah we had some snow! At last! I have been worrying about chickens in the snow. Chickens are not supposed to like the rain but my three don't care and will happily run around bedraggled in a downpour. Chickens really aren't supposed to like the snow, many won't come out in the snow but again mine don't care.
They ran around almost as normal, they did notice it coming down and had a little look, they just shook it off when too much built up on their backs.

The snow did get a lot deeper than this but they ladies were not deterred, they like their freedom. Their coop is clean and dry and packed with straw. They did think their water freezing was strange and me bashing it with a stick even stranger.

The garden is covered in the pretty patterns of chicken tracks.

Lacey likes the snow too and was perplexed by her frozen tennis ball.

She didn't want to come in!

Somebody else didn't want to come in and had a bit of a 'tamprum' when I called time shortly after this photograph. He did have a woolly hat on but it ended up cold and soggy like the rest of him. Straight in and in a warm bath where the 'tamprum' was soon forgot. He is lucky I let him out in the first place as playing in the cold and wet goes against my better judgement, but what sort of Mom doesn't let her kids play in the snow? He went out in the snow again the following morning with his friends. I looked out of the window to see him making a pair of snowball 'boobies' and dancing on the front lawn! Boys! What will the neighbours think?

Garlic Tea - Home remedy for Coughs, colds and Flu

2012-02-05T11:27:00.001Z

I have got to share this recipe with you:
Garlic Tea
I think the 'Forest' claimed a victim. Since last Wednesday I have had a painful throat and chest. I also have a cough, just a good old winter something or other! I came across the notion of 'Garlic Tea' on a discussion board on Ravelry. I know Garlic is very powerful for home remedies. Garlic Tea sounds pretty terrible but you have to trust me on this one, I actually rather like it. I could almost go as far as to say it is almost delicious! It seems to be keeping whatever it is at bay and really is the only thing making me feel better. Euan has rather unceremoniously pointed out I stink but I am definitely staying home as it is freezing outside and we have had snow, so I should not be causing offence to anyone. Good job we are cyber friends and not meeting in person. We have been overdosing on garlic anyway in this house, in our food, soups, mushrooms, pasta sauce. I bought some excellent plumptdelicicious garlic last week. The cloves are super-sized.
In true 'In The Sky' style I have adapted this 'Garlic Tea' recipe from researching several recipes. So here is my version. It is traditional in Spain and Mexico to serve Garlic Tea for Coughs, colds and Flu. Keep this recipe in mind, you may thank me! Besides they say 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!'

Ingredients:
Four of five cloves of garlic peeled and halved.
The juice of one lemon
2tsp of Honey (local to you if you can)
1 tsp of ground ginger (or fresh root ginger, a lump as big as your thumb peeled and sliced)
Boiling Water

Method
I put all the ingredients straight into my trusty little Thermos flask and top up with boiling water. When it runs low I just top it up with more water, honey and lemon juice.
This still remains a popular post of mine How to make Hot Port for Medicinal Purposes, however 'Hot Port' is great for bedtimes, when you have to function 'Garlic Tea' is the home remedy for me.

Ten 'Top Facts' about Alpaca - 'Mystery Bag' Reveal

2012-02-04T11:05:00.000Z

I love the colour of this fibre and you can see the natural crimp

1) The Ancient Peruvians used Alpaca fleece to make clothes for royalty, it was known as 'The Fibre of the Gods'. It was a status symbol and a prized trade item. Textiles were the highest form of tribute and more highly valued than gold and silver.

2) Alpacas were domesticated in Ancient South America as much as 6000 years ago. Milenia of selective breeding produced the finest fibre. Alpaca were said to be on loan from the Gods for as long as the human race could treat them with kindness. They were highly prized, providing fibre, food and fuel. The Spanish Invaders failed to recognise the 'Treasure of the people' they were blinded by the Gold and Silver. 90% of Alpaca were slaughtered almost to extinction.

3) In 1989 there were only about 150 Alpaca in the UK, now there are more than 20 000.

4) Alpaca is as soft as cashmere yet lighter in weight, stronger and warmer than wool.

5) Alpaca is warmer than wool and is said to be 30% warmer than Merino.

6) Alpaca comes in 22 natural colours, reducing the need for dye. However white Alpaca is in demand and takes dye particularly well. British Alpaca Society 'Alpaca Fibre Colour Chart'

7) Alpacas are sheared annually and each fleece will weigh between 2 and 5 kg.

8) There is no lanolin in Alpaca fibre so this makes it hypoallergenic and more suitable for people with wool allergies.

9) Alpaca fibre is naturally fire retardant.

10) Alpaca is second only to silk for strength and durability.

Reveal! A very guilty secret. Nine large bags of 'Raw' Alpaca. My friend is a Dog Groomer and one of her clients has 'Pet' Alpaca. This fleece has been in her shed for a while. It has been given to me on the understanding I make something for the Alpaca Owner from the fleece. I spun for about three hours yesterday and have about a third of a bobbin full. It did make me think of our friend 'Rumpelstiltskin' again. This is going to be a labour intensive journey into the heart of darkness! I wonder how long I can get away with keeping the fleece mountain a secret. I am sure to get quite a reaction when it gets discovered. Euan stood aghast looking at it. He said "Mom, what? What the? You need to learn to say no! If anybody asks you again just say no! You have enough for years here!" From the mouths of babes eh? Could you resist such a treasure hoard? Fibre of the Gods and all that. It could be worse I could have got a real live Alpaca, Lord knows I am tempted. I am hoping to go to The Premier Event for British Alpaca - in March, who knows what I could come back with?

Late 'Pie Day Friday' Post - Banoffee Pie

2012-02-04T10:59:00.000Z

Pie Day Friday has been lacking support in this house. I have been informed 'Pudding Pies' are still acceptable. I have never made a Banoffee Pie before. I don't like the idea of making the caramel, I worry it will burn in the pan or explode in the tin. Seriously I know what I am like. So when I saw this:

I knew there was no excuse. There really is no 'Cooking' as such with this pie, it is more a case of assembling. It appears to be a favourite in this house. I used a classic crushed biscuit and butter base in a flan dish. Plonked the canned caramel on top. Topped the caramel with slices of banana and topped the banana with cream.

What this pie lacks in presentation and technical skill, it sure made up for in taste.

Ethelwulf's Pie Day Friday!

2012-02-03T19:13:00.000Z

Today was 'Anglo Saxon' Day at Euan's school. He had to dress up as an Anglo Saxon. This troubled me somewhat as I am not one of those Moms that can make fabulous costumes. £24.00 for an Anglo Saxon costume on Ebay and I very nearly succumbed to save me the trouble, I didn't though and have been scouring charity shops for a couple of weeks. He also had a New Sword that he was very proud of but he drew the line at a Faux fur 'Rabbit skin' pouch, he was having none of that. They had some visitors from Birmingham University and they gave the children very realistic looking battle wounds, the kids were coming out of school with dreadful head and face wounds. Euan came out blemish free, he was having none of that either! He apparently had a wound done on his arm but he didn't like it so went and washed it off. He is a very willful boy, I don't know where he gets it from!

I have driven past these baby lambs twice in the past couple of weeks and been disappointed that I did not have my camera, so today I took my camera. They were very close to the fence on the previous occasions I have seen them but of course today they were far away. I love this little one trotting behind his mom.

It is incredibly cold here at the moment, I feel sorry for these babies as they do not look that woolly to me. I have seen them hopping and skipping around but today they were in little huddles trying to keep warm.

I hope their water trough was not frozen. I also hope they get some warm sunshine on their little backs soon. I love the way their little tails waggle as they suckle from their moms. The bright sunshine and baby lambs are fooling no one that Spring has Sprung. The frost has not cleared all day.
Talking of 'little huddles trying to keep warm' I have packed out the chicken coop with straw, I don't think chickens have too much trouble keeping warm. They have played out in the frost all day and I am quite intrigued to see what they make of snow.

I managed to get them some corn on the cob today, their favourite. It wasn't until I got it home I checked the country of origin. Senegal! That corn has clocked up more air miles in it's lifetime than I have. That can't be right can it? Corn on the cob in the frost!

I have not forgot it is 'Pie Day Friday' but as enthusiasm was dwindling for my pies I have gone with a sweet pie this week. 'The Pie' needs assembling just before eating, so as it is not finished yet I have no photographs of it. I will reveal 'The Pie' tomorrow.

I will also reveal the contents of these tomorrow. For now my priority is to work out how and where to hide them!
I hope you are all set for a relaxing weekend. X

A Touch of Glamour or Two!

2012-02-02T16:36:00.000Z

Last night I finished spinning and plying 'Clamor for Glamour'.
I chose to Navajo Ply because I wanted blocks of solid colour rather than a complete marl yarn. I have said before I am just delighted to be spinning yarn but I would like to improve and get an evenly plied yarn. I guess it will come with experience (or maybe not!) There are a few knots where the singles broke during plying but I am finding knots quite regularly in commercial yarn anyway so I will forgive myself a knot or two.

Don't ask me what weight it is or how much I have! I have one skein of 'thinnish for me' stuff!

Look at that glamour.
That is not the only glamorous thing to be going on around here today, one lucky lady has had a pampering, a very posh wash and blow dry!

I ran around the garden taking over ten photographs and this was the best one. The others are all blurs as chickens move pretty fast. Dotty Daisy was a very dirty 'Little Red Hen' apparently some Hens are just dirtier than others. Daisy is very cute but she is the dirtiest of the three! Not a nice claim to fame. So today I had my first experience of bathing a chicken. It is very cold here at the moment but she actually seemed to enjoy her warm bubble bath. She didn't struggle she really relaxed in the water and chatted away. Her sisters watched on and looked fascinated. I couldn't leave her cold and wet so I used the hair dryer to get her dry and fluffy again. I was worried it would distress her but she seemed to thoroughly enjoy the whole experience. She cooed and clucked, chatting to me while I dried her. She tried once to make a run for it as I took her into the shed to dry her, at one point I had a chicken on my head! I think she would appreciate weekly visits to the salon now she has had a taste for it . There is never a dull moment around here, it is not an everyday thing to bath a chicken is it? I think I am going to become a very strange, eccentric old lady one day, if I am lucky!

F f f f f Forest Dwellers (3)

2012-02-01T19:40:00.000Z

Don't be fooled by the sunshine. It was very bright and made the forest pretty but it did little to warm it up.

It was f f f freezing! Quite literally.

Team work created this fabulous campfire and there were two kettles this week that were kept in the fire for hot drinks and washing water. The fire and the hot drinks are really a make or break factor for me in the forest. As long as I can warm by the fire and have a hot drink I am happy. Obviously I do not run around as much as the kids, they were stripped down to T shirts, while I had gloves, cowl, woolly hat, two pairs of trousers and a funny walk!

This is the 'Tree House' how we left it last week, under the cover is our wood store.

This Sawing 'Horse' was in use almost all day. The kids love sawing wood for the fire and the wood store. I had a little go, there was no getting out of it, I was roped in as an assistant! They have banned me from the ladder, rather flatteringly saying 'you can't come up Miss, you will break the ladder!' I am not going to argue, I don't want to climb into the tree house anyway! Once I am up I would have to get back down somehow!

This is one of the two rope swings, they are still popular. The tape behind is the perimeter boundary line, the kids can go beyond as long as they ask first. There is a massive area to play in so they are not really interested in going out of bounds. We all gravitate around the fire mainly.

Lunch was another jolly civilised 'Al Fresco' affair. We made sandwiches, ham, tuna, cheese, cucumber, lettuce and tomato...sadly the lettuce was frozen solid! But iced grapes were refreshing. I managed to stay on my feet this week but last weeks tumble was talked about and laughed about. This week one of the kids fell twice, we ignored the swear word we heard as we are all only human after all. They each made a bow and arrow and it was hard to tell who was having the most fun with them the adults or the children. The bows and arrows were left in the forest for next week and using them is definitely a skill to be practiced.

By the time we left today the 'Tree House' had walls and a roof. A 'carpet' was experimented with but it disguised the edge of the floor and when one of the boys nearly fell out of the house, they all decided carpet was not such a good idea. I can not imagine what next week will bring, Wednesdays sure are the highlight of the week. It is lovely to be out of the classroom and to see the children relaxed and happy, taking responsibility for themselves and others. I had a chat with one boy today and he told me when he is a man he is going to drive to the forest with his dog and spend the day there, because his dog will love it. Do you know what - I hope they will both love it!

Farewell January

2012-01-31T18:57:00.002Z

The Months

January brings the snow,

makes our feet and fingers glow.

February brings the rain,

Thaws the frozen lake again.

March brings breezes loud and shrill,

stirs the dancing daffodil.

April brings the primrose sweet,

Scatters daises at our feet.

May brings flocks of pretty lambs,

Skipping by their fleecy damns.

June brings tulips, lilies, roses,

Fills the children's hand with posies.

Hot July brings cooling showers,

Apricots and Gillyflowers.

August brings the sheaves of corn,

Then the harvest home is borne.

Warm September brings the fruit,

Sportsmen then begin to shoot.

Fresh October brings the pheasants,

Then to gather nuts is pleasant.

Dull November brings the blast,

Then the leaves are whirling fast.

Chill December brings the sleet,

Blazing fire, and Christmas treat.

Sara Coleridge

Am I the only one to be disappointed there has been no January snow here? It is threatening it though. Tonight it is already well below freezing. Should be a f f f f fun day in the Forest tomorrow! Thank goodness for the fire and the kettle. Last week I already saw some tiny baby lambs and the Daffodils in the garden are in bud. Sadly the Snowdrops that my Mom planted as a surprise for me have not survived, the chickens appear to like playing 'football' with Snowdrop bulbs! Everything including me seems to be getting a bit confused with the seasons. The days are certainly getting longer though. I can't believe the first month of the year is already at an end. Come on February, bring it on!

Do you know what these are?

2012-01-30T22:27:00.000Z

I can't just leave you with a 'Monday' picture for the whole of Tuesday. That will just mess with my melon maaannn! I am very sleepy and trying to spin without nodding off, it can be a bit too relaxing you know! I am starting to think about what to grow in the garden again. It is all quite exciting. I could really do with another bumper glut of turnips! Then I need to turn the vegetable beds into something resembling a high security prison to keep the Chicken Girlies off! They are so helpful in the garden.
We are 'Living off the fat of the land.' Currently up for harvest is good old Sage, Parsley, Thyme, all good for a 'Garden Herb Omelette'. Spinach and Artichokes (but I am afraid the artichokes have stayed in the ground this year, they are not called 'Fartichokes' without good reason) and 'these' little beauties in the photograph. Euan and I love them. I don't think I have ever seen them in a Supermarket. So I will leave you with a little quiz. 'What are they?' Answers on a Postcard please, oh yeah I forgot you can just leave a comment! If you know what they are and eat them I would be interested to know how you eat yours. I am very impressed with their hardiness and I am amazed my garden is producing anything edible at this time of the year. I am still getting a kick out of collecting three eggs a day too! Not quite self sufficient but I do like to pretend.

It's Monday

2012-01-30T06:00:00.001Z

Too Cute. Have a Good one! X

Bloggies First Birthday and 'Give Away' Winners

2012-01-29T09:49:00.000Z

A Celebration is in order and every celebration needs a special cake. Bloggies Birthday Cake is in honour of my first ever post, one year ago, 'When Life Gives You Lemons-Make a Lemon Drizzle Cake'. This is no ordinary 'Lemon Drizzle Cake'. It is complete with Lemon Icing and Popping Candy!

Even the candle is no ordinary candle, only the best for my Bloggie Birthday Celebration, a Number '1' Sparkler! Very cute but it smoked the kitchen out just a tad! The kids think I have gone mad but they tucked into the cake any way and enjoyed the Popping Candy. I love Popping Candy.

Give Away Winners
Drawn by Random Number Generator

1st Prize - Rachel

and three Runners up

Knitting Nix

Hippy Witch

and

Jane
(As long as I have your address your prizes will be posted out at the end of the week.)

Thank you to everyone for entering and being my Super Duper Blog Buddies X

A Picture for each Month of Bloggies Existence Collage

Birthday Bloggie and Blog Awards - Yeah!

2012-01-27T16:49:00.000Z

My Blog is having a very Happy Birthday Week. It has been lucky enough to have been the proud recipient of not one but two Fabulously Flattering Blog Awards this week. Blog awards are a great bit of fun and they do wonders for fluffing up the Ego of the average blog. It is like receiving a sticker at school for 'Good Work'. They help me to stay motivated and to keep trying with my 'Blog Writing' it is super duper to know that my ramblings are appreciated/ enjoyed by others. I am very grateful to Hippywitch Crafts for awarding me 'The Versatile Blogger' Award and I would also like to thank Kashi's Corner for my second 'Liebster' Blog Award. I feel a bit under dressed for a grand award ceremony, so I will quit with the delusions of grandeur and get on with the business of accepting my blogging obligations that go with accepting the awards.

The Versatile Blogger Award may keep me busy for a while....

Here's the rules,

After receiving the award you then need to:

In the same post, add the Versatile Blogger Award.
In the same post, thank the blogger who nominated you in a post with a link back to their blog.
In the same post, share 7 completely random pieces of information about yourself.
In the same post, include this set of rules.
Inform each nominated blogger of their nomination by posting a comment on each of their blogs.
ooh and forward it to 15 other bloggers.

Seven Random pieces of information about myself, huh, Random is my middle name! How Random can I be! I did something similar for My First Blog Award, I will try not to repeat myself, but really my life has not been all that exciting (well not the bits I am willing to share with you! lol)

1) My Favourite animal is a dog. (chickens are a close second, and hamsters and budgies and cats and alpacas.) More specifically a 'Sausage dog' is my favourite sort of dog.

2) I am the proud owner of a 'Barking' Budgie! He is barking mad, but he does actually bark, multiple times a day. My old Sausage dog taught him!

3) I have been to quite a few 'Rock Concerts'. I never grew out of my passion for 'Heavy Metal'. I can't decide if I would like 'Led Zeppelin's' Stairway to Heaven or AC/DCs 'Highway to Hell' played at my funeral. I am assuming I will have a while to decide!

4) My first car was one of these:

A Mini Countryman. Writing about it makes me want another one. It was a beautiful old banger! It had fungi growing around the window and a hole in floor that you could see the road through. When it failed its MOT the list of faults was tragic. I miss him!

5) My Mother was a Music Teacher...but I can't play a note. I have tried the recorder, the guitar, drums, clarinet and the oboe...all to varying degrees of non success! To be honest I would have trouble playing a triangle but I can remember being enthusiastic about the tambourine when I was a child.

6) I once met Van Morrison.

He looked a bit like this, because this is him!

7) The person I would most like to meet is:

If anyone could arrange it I would be awfully awfully grateful. I Love Ozzy! I actually would like to Marry him! Don't tell Sharon. Ozzy and I would be a match made in Heaven. He would fit into this house perfectly!

Blimey that is random!

Now I have to forward 'The Versatile Blogger' Award on to 15 other bloggers! There are a lot of us little Bloggers out there!

These Fifteen are in no particular order but I do recommend you pay them each a visit. I am sure they will be very pleased to see you.

1) Kashi's Corner

2) According to Matt

3) Simply Life

4) Teresa Kasner

5) A Trifle Rushed

6) Grateful for Crochet

7) Lally Lou Lou

8) Mina and Me

9) Cherry Heart

10) Smile at the Flowers

11) The Smiling Robot

12) Bunny Mummy

13) Chalky's World

14) Nicole and the Bee

15) Knits and Crosses

The rules for accepting the 'Liebster Blog' award are simple and a great way of networking through the blogging community. You link to the blog that gave it to you. You pick 5 blogs of your choice to pass it on to, (they have to have under 200 followers for The Liebster Award). Share a link to your chosen blogs. Then finally, display the "Liebster button" on your blog. Simples.

My Liebster Blog Nominations are: ( I have done this once before! here )

1) Daily Dose of Deuce
2) Gothy and Her crafty Stuff ( a great new Blog, I love Kat's Knitting and Spinning)

3) Eggbird Designs (Lovely Knitting and Crochet site and a talented 'new' designer.)

4) Aurora Blythe ( A very pretty blog)

5) Knitting nix (More great knitting and other stuff and to prove I have not fallen out with her over the squidgy Cinnamon Rolls! lol)

If I were you I would bake a nice cake and find some time to relax with a cuppa and your feet up so you can peruse these lovely bloggies! Enjoy. X

Pie Day Friday - Cheese, Potato and Onion Pie Mmmmm

2012-01-27T08:04:00.000Z

I like the left over pastry snacks on Pie Day Friday sometimes more than I like the pie. These are Cheese and Marmite Pinwheels. (The little Bart Simpson plate says 'I do what I want, when I want!' Very apt!) I topped the Pin Wheels with a three seed mix and they were delicious baked. Enthusiasm is certainly dwindling for 'Pie' in this house. My brood are fussy little 'so and so's'! I took it upon myself to consume almost the entire 'Cheese, Potato and Onion Pie' single handed, it does keep for at least three days well! It is also delicious cold. I love the simple combination of cheese, potato and onion. It's a good job too when you are eating it for breakfast, dinner and tea, for three days!) I am amazed three simple ingredients can make such a delicious flavour. Obviously I am on my own in that opinion in this house. They thought that it was an 'Apple Pie' and never got over the shock or disappointment.

I made a batch of Shortcrust Pastry.
Ingredients for the Filling:
200g of Grated Strong Cheddar
2 Onions peeled and Finely sliced
3 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
200ml cream
1 egg

Method
Line a pie plate with half of the pastry. Layer the base with the potatoes, onion and cheese. Beat the cream and egg together and pour it carefully over the filling, reserve a tablespoon of this mixture to brush on the lid of the pie before baking. Put the Pastry lid on the pie. Brush with remaining egg and cream mixture. Bake in a medium oven for 45 minutes. Voila, one magic pie, made from very simple ingredients.

I am sure these boys would eat my Pie! They don't look fussy!

Hope you are all set for a relaxing weekend. X

Forest Dwellers (2)

2012-01-25T18:48:00.000Z

Today I survived the second of ten 'Forest School' sessions. It was great fun. The crackle of a camp fire and the sting of it's smoke in your eyes. The children lit their fires first time this week. They must have wanted the Hot Chocolate and cups of tea pretty bad.

'Our' camp is just for us, one day a week for ten weeks. This week was spent on home improvements. A rain shelter that got called the 'annex' or the 'extension'. The children also wanted to build a tree house off the ground. Today they got the base/floor made and attached to the trees, they also made a ladder to climb up to the house. The tree house doubles up to keep the wood supply dry underneath. It is all getting pretty sophisticated. The kids use saws sensibly and really get empowered with the freedom. They loved the rope swings again and enjoyed tree climbing. My photography was hopeless this week I will try much harder next week. They spent a good couple of hours pretending to be Ewoks. A couple of boys role played magicians around the fire conjuring flames. One boy tried to get comfortable under the 'table' for a sleep but the others were making 'too much noise'!

We all ate an 'Al Fresco' lunch and then we made toast on the fire, which tastes much better than toaster made toast of course. I had just finished my second coffee of the day when I took the most spectacular fall. Somebody put logs all over the floor in the forest! I trod on one, it rolled and I went flying. I did not hurt anywhere in particular because it was one of those falls where everywhere hits the floor at once. Due to the unexpected nature of my tumble, the speed I was travelling and momentum I rolled too. I came to a stop at the feet of a small, shocked looking boy! I was really pleased that he didn't laugh but immediately and out of genuine concern asked me if I was ok. What a gent! I got up rather quickly and still had my coffee cup in my hand! My trousers and coat were pretty filthy though! I am really getting to old for this falling over at speed lark! I am definitely too old for rope swings! I think I am also too old for ladders and tree houses. I am not to old for sneaking up on unsuspecting Ewoks though and scaring the daylights out of them with a loud roar!

Ta Dah 'Par rappa ta dah!' Ripple Blanket!

2012-01-24T18:16:00.001Z

Do not adjust your sets! I have been really looking forward to this post. It felt like I had bitten off more than I could chew at times. Completing this ~~ugly~~ ahem unique ripple has been quite a task. I do love it. Like I would love a three legged dog or a one eyed cat! Anyone who knows me would know that means I love it a lot! It is not everyone's 'Cup of tea' but for months I have become very fond of it, it has kept me nice and warm while I have worked on it. I have made this analogy before, these blankets are like our children, we all love our own! I finished it at 11pm last night, sewing in the final end.

Triumphantly I lay it down on the floor to photograph, to 'show off' and I had to laugh out loud in a hysterical, ironic sort of way. Being the first time I have lovingly 'straightened' the blanket out to view it as a whole, I discovered something I did not know about my beloved blankie! It is in fact the most fantastic Trapezium shape! Yep that's right! Not a rectangle, I squished it for the photograph, I did not want you to laugh at mine or the blankies expense! Not rectangular but a great fat Trapezium! Darn it! Where did those stitches go? I must have lost some along the way and did not notice! Doh! Will I frog? Will I heck. I can learn to live with a Trapezium. It was just a nasty little surprise but now I am over it! I will be blankies forever home and it will always be loved, by at least one person. Moi!

Lacey had been for a long walk and was very tired, she would not move for the photograph and her bewilderment at my late night photography is apparent in her expression. She had just woken from a deep 'Rabbit Chasing Slumber' and I think the bright wavy lines triggered her a migraine! Jeepers I would just love to have a proud, trouble free 'Ta Dah' moment. Is that too much to ask? This is my first finished item of the year and I sincerely hope things improve from here on in!

Tea Time Treats - January 2012

2012-01-23T20:30:00.001Z

This months 'Teatime Treats Blogging Challenge' theme over at Lavender and Lovage is sweet pastries and breads. 'The Tea-time Treats Blogging challenge' is hosted on alternate months by Kate at What Kate Baked and Karen at Lavender and Lovage. Any one can enter and at the end of the month there is a 'Showcase' round up of everyone's delicious contributions and ideas. I will be entering 'Cinnamon Rolls' this month. I have blogged about these beauties twice before Here and Here. If you haven't made them yet, I strongly recommend you give them a go.

Ingredients

Serves: 12

15g (1/2 oz) dried active baking yeast
7 tablespoons caster sugar
1 tablespoon salt
450ml (16 fl oz) warm water (45 C)
800g (1 3/4 lb) plain flour, divided
2 eggs
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 tablespoons caster sugar
1 dessertspoon ground cinnamon

Method

(I put the dough ingredients in my trusty old Bread Machine and let him do all the work. Then I have time to write my blog!)

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and 7 tablespoons sugar in warm water. Stir in salt and half of the flour. Beat mixture for 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and oil. Stir in the remaining flour, a little at a time, beating well after each addition.

When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together remaining sugar and 1 dessertspoon cinnamon; set aside.

Divide the dough into twelve equal pieces. Take each piece of dough, roll into a log and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Then roll up the log into a pinwheel. Place the pinwheels in a lightly greased 23x33 cm (9x13 in) baking tin. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until golden.

Tip:

For a delicious addition, you can add sultanas, Craisins, pecans, or walnuts to the cinnamon and sugar mixture just before you make the dough into pinwheels. I have also left mine over night so they are ready to bake in the morning. You are hard pushed to find a better start to the day than a warm Cinnamon Roll and a house that is filled with a sweet cinnamon aroma.

One Week to go! 'Great Blogiversary Give Away'

2012-01-22T11:15:00.000Z

There is one week to go until my 'First Blogiversary'. How quickly the time flies. One year ago since I posted my first post When Life Gives You Lemons. My philosophy has not changed. I still think 'When life gives you Lemons you should make a 'Lemon Drizzle Cake.' I love the way cake solves everything! (If only the politicians ate more cake!) In fact I have plans to make a 'Lemon Drizzle' next week to celebrate a year of blogging. I hope to make a beauty with a candle and everything!

In a year I have posted over 300 posts, phew don't I have a lot to say for myself! I have made loads of 'Blog Buddies' and to date have 174 followers from all over the globe. I am very grateful to you all for joining me in my ~~madn~~ adventures. I have fun joining in with yours.

I have a small obsession with my 'Flag Counter' (a bit like stamp collecting) and check it a couple of times a week. I have had visitors from 121 different countries with Qatar being the last new country. (I still have to look up where that is!) Fancy I have had visitors from places I have never even heard of! My Geography knowledge must be bad! We must not forget the 'Extraterrestrial Visitor. (Hello, smiles and waves - we know you are out there).

Now I love me a good 'Blog Give Away'. I won't be celebrating for my birthday this year with a 'Give Away'. I may celebrate '200' Followers at some point in the future, and '100 000' hits feels like it will be a benchmark, I still have a long way to go for that though (currently I have 67 000 hits). If you can't celebrate your 'First Blogiversary' what can you celebrate? It is not just a 'Big Year' for my Blog it is a 'Big Year' for Britain! (Though most of us would not know it with the state of the economy!) Her Majesty will be celebrating her 'Diamond Jubilee' in June and we will get an extended Bank Holiday weekend. I am all for those!

Ooops Sorry, wrong picture!

Here she is in all her Glory

We are also proud (but very poor) hosts to the 2012 Olympics.

What a super 'Official Logo' It looks even better if you wear your sunglasses!

I thought it befitting that my 'Give Away Prizes' should have a touch of Great British Patriotism about them. I will have One 'Lucky first Prize Winner' and Three 'Runner Up' prizes for the 'Grand Blogiversary Draw'. I have a selection of these fine 'Tea Towels' to give away. The first prize will be the much sort after set of all three. The runners up will win 'One Randomly Selected' tea towel each. They are sure to add a touch of glamour to your daily drudge! I know they do it for me!

My Personal Favourite paying homage to The Great British Egg!

(I am sure you get eggs in the rest of the world though?)

My Day would not be complete without the Great British Cuppa.

(All the way from India!)

Doesn't the Union Jack look much better in Pink Patchwork. I may write to Her Majesty and The Houses of Parliament to start a campaign to get it officially changed to this. Much much prettier, don't you think?

I can't promise to iron the prizes but I am sure the 'winners' could do that for themselves. To be in for your chance to win one of these fantabulous 'Tea Towels' you simply need to be a 'Follower' of 'Lucy In the Sky' and leave me a comment on this post. I would love it if your comment could explain why for you, 'Britain is Truly Great'. I will draw the 'Winners' by 'Random Number Generator' on my Blogiversary Day, 29th January 2012. You need to have entered by 28th. Let us eat 'Drizzle Cake' and be merry!

Good Luck and thanks again for following and all your lovely comments X

Would you like a Pretty Crafty Home?

2012-01-21T13:21:00.000Z

Cherry Heart Blog

I have lifted the 'Cherry Heart' 'Mission Staement' for a Pretty Crafty Home from Sandra's Blog:

"This is what I want to do:

1. Tidy, tidy, tidy and clean, clean clean!

The first step for me is to get rid of the junk and de-clutter. It's time to get rid of the stuff I don't want, don't need and can't use or re-use and tidy up everything I'm keeping. As I'm doing the tidying and de-cluttering I'm going to be giving this house the 'Spring clean' of it's life.

2. If it has to live here, it should be pretty.

With a tat loving daughter and a husband with no thought for how things look, it's going to be tough to keep new ugliness and junk coming into the house, but I'm going to try hard. If we do need something new, it should addto the home, not detract!

3. If I don't like how it looks, and I can change it, I will.

I'm not planning on re-decorating the whole house, this is about finding the bits you don't like and changing them into something you do.

4. Thrift, re-use and recycling are my watch words.

As it stands the budget for this little project is practically zero, so I'm looking for cheap solutions here! (Although there may be the odd exception, knowing me!)

5. Crafting is king!

The most important thing thing of all. This project is all about home improvement through crafting. If it's home made and it makes me happier about my home then it's part of the project.

Now, this is just what I'm setting out to do. If you'd like to join me you can define the challenge however you'd like to so it works for you and your home. The principle is, if you're doing something crafty to improve your home, make it a more pleasurable environment to be in and look at then, it qualifies. If you can thrift and recycle your way there - so much the better! "

There is a Flickr Group Here so we can see and share what each other has been up to. I am on board with Sandra as my home is in desperate need of some Tender Loving Care. There is no fun in 'Crafting in Clutter', I should know. I find the blogging community very helpful and motivating where craft is concerned so I really like the idea of joining with others in a 'Mission' to have a 'Pretty Crafty Home'. I am a little slow off the 'starting block' but today I have made some progress. At least it is a step in the right direction. I think I may be in 'Phase One' for quite some time. 'Tidy, tidy, tidy and clean, clean, clean.' It isn't fun, it isn't glamorous and it sure is not pretty. Euan has a physical reaction to de-cluttering his belongings, it ranges from going quiet and pale, to getting fretful and tearful and at all times there is the danger of a full blown meltdown of a tantrum! I have made the mistake of tidying and de-cluttering his stuff when he is at school and the results were ugly! I mentioned it this morning and explained it is getting a little out of hand and to enjoy our 'toys' we have to be able to have room to play with them. He really really didn't like the idea. Miraculously though he did get on board and we tackled his territory under his bed. I have never known him willingly part with stuff.

Poor old broken sword! My brother made 'Excalibur' for Henry and Euan inheritted it. I think we will need to ask for another one. We had a pile of stuff for the 'Tip' and another pile for the 'Salvation Army' shop. It really feels like a result! I felt guilty chucking stuff into the 'For Landfill' skip at the dump but needs must. I hate going to the dump! Usually you have to queue for ages and it is really busy but today the 'Declutter and Dump Angels' looked kindly upon us and we drove straight in. We then went to the Barbers, for Euan not me! After the Barbers we drove to the Salvation Army Shop with toys, books and clothes that would be good to re-sell. Euan rescued one crocodile puppet that he decided he really did not want to part with.

It doesn't look much in the two photographs but it has really cleared a 'Play Space for Euan under his bed. I have to go and do the 'Clean, clean, clean' part with the vacuum this afternoon as it was very dusty under there. We found some Easter eggs that had been squirreled away! Tut tut tut, shame on me! Euan has a natural eye for a 'Pretty Craft Home' and said 'Do you know, I have always wanted curtains under here!'

This is really the tiniest tip of the iceberg. I have the whole house to work my way through. Rome was not built in a day, and neither was a 'Pretty Crafty Home'! I will just keep plodding in the right direction. I will try and do a weekly update on my progress, it is rather like hanging ones dirty linen out in public though. 'My Name is Lucy and my house is a shocking mess!'

Ye Olde 'Coconut and Raspberry Tarts' ;) 'Pie day Friday.

2012-01-20T09:50:00.002Z

It is lovely to see new followers on this Happy Pie Day Friday. Hello (Waves), Happy Pie Day Friday.
Here is a bit of a twist on Ye olde 'Bakewell Tart'. I made these Coconut and Raspberry tarts. Bakewell Tart traditionally has ground almonds in the mixture, I didn't have any almonds but I did have desiccated coconut, in true 'Inthesky' style I made a substitution and even if I do say so myself they were quite agreeable on ones palette. These were a thrifty nifty little bake as they use the homemade Raspberry jam that I made in the Summer. I didn't fuss too much with the quantities, they are basically a Jam tart with a Coconut Sponge topping. I can make these by guess work and live with the imperfections.

Pie Day Friday has been scuppered with lack of enthusiasm of the family front. Henry is in his fourth week of being a vegetarian. The other half has given up red meat. I am using meat from the freezer but have not bought any and Euan is trying very hard to remain an omnivore. We have been eating a lot less meat as a family. Nut Roasts on Sunday, Vegetable curries, Vegetable stew, Vegetable soup, Vegetarian Lasagne, Vegtable 'Shepherds' Pie, Falafel,, Bean Burgers and other concoctions. I wonder how long we will keep it up?

The Hairy Bikers like meat in their Pies!

Birmingham Children's Hospital

2012-01-19T20:54:00.000Z

'This is a great building and is really interesting and ornate inside, it was built in 1862 in Steelhouse Lane Birmingham

Today we had an appointment in the morning at Birmingham Children's Hospital. It was a check up for Euan with the Orthotics department regarding his insoles in his shoes. Euan was diagnosed with a 'club foot', or talipes at a twenty week scan. Talipes effects 1 in 1000 babies. Before the scan I sat waiting and said to my partner "For some reason 'My Left Foot' has come into my head". I know it is unbelievable but Euan's left foot is the one affected. He was on the books at Birmingham Children's Hospital before he was born. He made an unexpected early arrival in to the world, my due date was September the 4th 2004, he arrived 'Fit and well' at the beginning of July ( he has been in a rush all his life!). He was in a plaster cast at five days old before he even weighed 6 pounds. The cast went from his toes to his hip and needed to be changed each week. He had this treatment in four week intervals, I cannot remember how many times. Euan has been fairly regular at the 'Children's Hospital' ever since. He had a series of plaster casts and when he was not in cast wore 'Boots and a Bar' for 23 hours a day until he was about two and then he wore them at night until he was about three and a half. We had to shop for baby clothes that were easy to get on and off and my Mom would alter the legs in his clothing so I could still change him easily. He also had an operation at 10 weeks old. Looking back it was all very stressful, but the Children's Hospital is a humbling place and I was always glad to be coming out with my own problems rather than other peoples. At the same time Euan had his treatments Henry also had three lots of ear surgery and a 'Bone Anchored Hearing Aid fitted'. We were always up to Birmingham with one or the other and by coincidence on several occasions they would have appointments on the same day in different departments. We made a right family day out of it! I have done a few over night stays on a children's ward. Euan actually had his last surgery the day before his sixth birthday so we woke up to his Birthday on the Ward, he was treated like a Lord and remembers it fondly! I always went overboard buying them presents when either of them went to hospital so they actually looked forward to going rather than dreaded it. I am a 'Spoon full of Sugar' kind of Mom! Many a tantrum has been averted with Cadbury Chocolate (another Great Product of Birmingham's Heritage) or a toy!

We did worry if our son would be able to walk properly and be comfortable. In 5% of children the casting and boots treatment does not work. Sadly Euan was one of those 5%. He has had four surgical procedures on his bones, tendons and muscles. These really helped him gain good structure and function of his foot. He spent weeks in a wheelchair with us carrying him everywhere. He will need further surgery at some point when he is older. Currently he just wears insoles in everyday shoes and is fully mobile. They take an imprint of his feet at the hospital and then it gets sent to the USA where the insoles are made and posted back. He has been as 'Good as Gold' with any of his treatments, he is a very resilient boy. He appears to have a high pain threshold and is a very active boy, he goes to sports club at school, and he likes walking and riding his bike. If you watch him he walks with a slight limp to his gait. Occasionally he will complain of pain in his foot or leg. My parents take us to appointment and I am very grateful. Birmingham is a big, busy city and it took us an hour this morning to get to the hospital. We left home at 7.45am. The city was a sharp contrast to the Forest yesterday. Our appointment was an hour late, I grumble 100 X more than Euan. He is a 'Mini me' sadly for him. He really looks like me and has inherited several of my traits, including a fear of heights and quite extreme motion sickness. Neither Euan or I can travel far at all in the car without feeling nauseous. My poor parents have to suffer the two of us huffing and puffing in the back seat. We do not make good passengers. I am not sure crocheting Granny Squares in the back seat helped with my 'Motion Sickness' today!

I survived!

2012-01-18T16:48:00.000Z

I went prepared with 'The Spotty Wellies' of experience. Thankfully the frost was all gone so it was not too cold for four hours in the Forest.

The first job was to set up a safe fire. Each child used 'Fire Steels' to make their own fire which was then built into one large fire. The children loved the challenge of getting sparks and collecting tinder, kindling, sticks 'the thickness of your thumb' and then bigger lumps of wood. The ground rules were very clear and for the most part adhered to. They have a clear understanding that if they follow the rules they earn the privilege to go again next week.

The Fire was the centre piece of the camp, the kettle was crucial to my well being.

We could sit around the warm fire enjoying a warm drink. We will return to the same 'camp' for another nine sessions. Two of the more experienced members of staff set to work making a 'table'. I thought they were slightly bonkers, but came to really appreciate 'The Table' when it came to lunch prep and washing up.

The 'sink' was a bucket, set into the table. This was ingenious and very useful. The table also doubled up as a cloakroom for hanging coats and bags up. The children charged around and generally built up hearty appetites. They ate like Hobbits, snacking regularly and even the fussy eaters suddenly became far less fussy. They built two rope swings and spent some time working on a shelter.

It was all great fun. I enjoyed watching the children interacting with us and each other out of the classroom. They had a lot of freedom. It was not until I got home I realised how exhausted I am. I hope the children sleep well tonight, they certainly should. All I am good for is sorting my own 'brood' out and plodding on with my crochet Ripple Mountain. Aaah, the power of 'The Great Outdoors'.

Wish me Luck!

2012-01-17T19:39:00.000Z

This beautiful photograph (it is not mine, it is taken from Here) is of the Wyre Forest in Worcestershire. We have not had snow yet, but weather watchers are starting to whisper about it. We have had three or four days of frost though that has not thawed. Very very chilly. Don't get me wrong I love 'The Great Outdoors'. I love taking children into 'The Great Outdoors' too, but I am a little worried. Tomorrow I will be taking a group of children (with six other 'grown ups') to the Wyre Forest for the day. It is day one of a 'ten' session 'Forest Schools' course. We will go every Wednesday rain or shine for ten weeks. Some of the kids have been before but I have not. There is no toilet! If we want to keep warm we need to collect firewood and make our own fire, if we want a warm drink we need to hope the Fire Gods are looking kindly upon us and Lord knows what we will eat. One of the kids said to me today "Miss, you are not allowed to tell us off for climbing trees!" It is 'Child lead learning' where we support whatever it is they choose to do in the forest, it may involve ropes, home made bows and arrows, fire skills, games and general Tom foolery! The children I teach are permanently excluded from their mainstream schools, due to emotional and behavioural issues I have been doing this job for twelve years and I don't have a single grey hair! I hope I do not gain any tomorrow. I need to hunt out my warmest woollies to take with me and get my bag packed, I can't see me sleeping much tonight, I don't know if I am excited or anxious, probably a healthy mix of both. So wish me luck, I will update you tomorrow if I survive! Once my bag is packed I will be taking my nervous energy out on my Crochet Ripple. I also have a very 'Good' book to read at bedtime.

Dropped Dead Stitch by Maggie Sefton

Dead Grateful to Ripple

2012-01-16T21:40:00.002Z

The Grateful Dead - Ripple

I am still rippling away on my Crochet Ripple Blanket...it is like climbing a mountain, just when you think you are going to reach the top...you find you still have a long way to go. Rippling up, rippling down, rippling up, rippling down, it is about all I can cope with this Monday evening. It is keeping me warm to work under though as we have had a very cold spell.

I am very worried about Frozen Chickens. They do not seem to mind though and still come out to play with gusto in the frost! They usually sleep two together and one on her own, but this cold spell has seen all three of them getting along nicely and cuddling up together at night. They take themselves to bed when it is dark and I just have to go and shut them up safely for the night. I saw a big fox trot past my house at 6.45pm last night, he has given me a nightmares. I go out in the pitch black and shove my hand in the coop to do a quick head count and it is like a unique musical instrument as I pat each chicken they sound a musical note, if I am accurate I get three notes, if I have to grope around I may get several dud notes that sound a bit disgruntled, until all three chickens are accounted for.

Never underestimate a chicken! There is no end to their talents!

I really hope to have some craft to show you soon, I am not sure how long you can cope with my random chicken posts! X

Ribbon Weaving

2012-01-15T10:32:00.000Z

Yesterday was the AGM at the Weaving, Spinning and Dyeing Guild. I took my trusty 'Ashford Kiwi' Spinning wheel and actually managed to get some spinning done. It was nice to sit and natter and spin. I sat with three other spinners. It is good to look at what others are spinning and chat about wheels, technique and yarn. I learned a little more about the ratios on my wheel that can be varied for different yarns. My level of spinning has not progressed much from simply being delighted I can spin a yarn. My Mom did not take her wheel and chose to take part in the 'Ribbon Weaving Workshop'. It looked challenging. The lady that lead the workshop is a very talented seamstress and she bought lots of little bags you could choose from, that could then be embellished with the braids of woven ribbon. I bought a little bag and some ribbon to play with at home.

Here is an Excellent Youtube Tutorial

I watched the above video tutorial and then had a little play with some ribbons.

I think the results are pretty, this is another craft that I can see being highly addictive as it is therapeutic once you get in to the rhythm of it and quite instantly gratifying.

I made enough of this braid to go around the whole bag, I just need to stitch it on. It is very flexible and goes around curves and corners really well. I also like how you could use either side of the braid, each side looks slightly different.

I wonder how long it will take me to actually get around to sewing the braid around the bag? I will definitely be showing you as soon as it is finished. I will also photograph the bag in daylight as that is not the true colour at all. It is a pinky, lilacy, silvery sort of colour if you catch my drift. I do like the grey though that has turned out in the photograph.

I am going around the house now looking at the lampshades and thinking 'Oooo they would look pretty with a ribbon braid'. Looking at curtains 'Oooo they would look pretty with a ribbon braid'. Cushions 'Oooo they would look pretty with a ribbon braid'. If my boys were girls 'Oooo they would look pretty with a ribbon braid'!

The Peachy Crafty World of Dottie Angel

2012-01-14T08:39:00.001Z

I know many of you will be familiar with the Blog The Ramblings of Dottie Angel it is one of my favourite Blogs. Dottie Angel is the Alter Ego of Tif Fussell. Tif is a Brit who has put down roots in America. Her blog is filled with her craft pursuits and her wonderful Granny Chic Style. This is her fantastic book that I thought I would share a few pages of with you. It is the perfect book to 'look' at and read with a cup of tea and a biscuit to dunk.

Each page is a visual treat of crafty goodness. The majority of Tif's work has been rescued from, what Dottie calls, "The Shelves of Despair", that are present in every thrift or charity shop. Tif works her magic and turns beautiful fabrics and objects into something more beautiful. I recently rescued three crochet doilies for the princely some of 20p, they are destined to be turned into something lovely or "Peachy" as Dottie would say. Dottie uses her own vocabulary and has names for inanimate objects, there is a glossary at the back of the book explaining these terms, most are self explanatory like my favourite 'Crapitty Crap'!

It will eternally perplex me why my 'Lucky Finds' and clutter do not look this aesthetically pleasing.

There are 'How to' pages in the book with simple Dottie Angel projects that any fool could make to beautify their living space.

There is a touching little story about this rabbit and how he found himself sitting on "The Shelves of Despair" and then he found a forever home with Tif and she even made him his own handmade crochet cape. Doesn't he look lovely in it?

He is now rather a special rabbit and has been seen by a global audience. I am a sucker for a happy ending.

The simplicity of each piece of work really appeals to me I think it is all lovely. It is the perfect Coffee table book. There are even 'Chicken Pics'.

There are also some great photographs of Tif's dogs enjoying their home made blankets.
I shared with you in a previous post my 'Happy Tray'. This is a firm favourite with everyone in the house now. It has pride of place in the living room and is in use daily. It does make us very 'Happy' to use it. Every house should have a 'Happy Tray', chickens and at least one crochet project on the go.

A craft book is not quite complete for me if it does not have 'Crochet' projects in it. Tif also loves to crochet.

What a lovely sentiment to share. If we are having sunshine this weekend it will be accompanied by a crisp frost, in most places in the UK we are having a cold spell. Brrr. I really recommend this book, the snippets I have shown you are a very small sample of the whole. It is a very funny, uplifting and creative read. A book to show you how to turn your 'clutter' into 'treasures'. A charity shop will never seem the same again as you man your 'Rescue' missions.
Hope Your Weekend is Positively Peachy. X

Paper Weaving 'Play'

2012-01-13T13:12:00.000Z

On a trip to the Supermarket I found this little pad left on the 'Shelves of Despair' with other reduced items. For the grand total of 60p I decided it needed to come home with me. It is a little pad filled with sheets of coloured paper, shiny paper, pearlised paper and bright patterns like these:

Throughout the week I have been having five minute blasts of fun experimenting with simple paper weaving. This would be another great craft activity for children. Very easy to resource and quick to learn.

I have so far created these:

You can measure and draw out faint guide lines if precision is your thing, but that is not my 'style'!

I have laminated the little swatches and have a few vague notions of what they are destined to be. For now I am simply enjoying admiring them! As they have been laminated they can now be cut into various shapes. I thought about cutting out letters to spell out words, now I think I am going to try and find a simple chicken template. I also thought about making a 'Love heart Garland'. I remembered a tutorial I came across for making 'Woven Paper Hearts'. These little hearts are traditionally Danish and are made for St Lucia's Day which is December the 13th. Children hang these hearts on the Christmas Tree and they get filled with a Cookie or Sweets. I read most Danish children can make these hearts easily by the time they are ten years old. If a ten year old can do it. I felt confident having a go. Here is a good tutorial At Gingerbread Snowflakes. I think these turned out quite well after a couple of rejects!

These will make a much better 'Love Heart Garland' from my sons point of view. I will decorate for 'Valentines Day' and can fill these with 'Sweets'.

I would quite like to experiment with 'Fabric Hearts' too. I did not realise there was so much fun to be had with 60p worth of paper. I will also explore newspaper and magazines for paper weaving. I have been trying to teach myself how to make Chinese 'Lucky Stars' with the intention of making a Lucky Star Garland. Origami 'Lucy Stars' are described as the 'easiest and most well known of Origami Creations' but so far my 'Lucky Stars' have not turned out to be 'Star shaped' let alone Lucky.

Get ready for 'Friday the 13th'

2012-01-12T19:00:00.000Z

Pie Day Friday is cancelled for tomorrow, nobody tries to bake on Friday 13th surely? I hope you all have a good day :) I am busy crafting and hope to get some pictures to show you tomorrow. I am making progress with my crochet Ripple and trying to spin but my back and knee are rebelling and making it uncomfortable. I have also been 'Paper Weaving' but want to write a more detailed post showing you what I have been up to. On Saturday it is the Weaving Spinning and Dyeing Guild's AGM, the first meeting for the New Year. There will be a members 'Sales' table which is always a treat, with interesting goodies to look at. Strangely something usually seems to jump in my bag! Also there will be an informal workshop with 'Ribbons'. I don't know what we will be doing with them, it is all very mysterious. I will sort myself some ribbon to take. I am also trying to resist the temptation of a 'New Project'!

It is a big year for the 'UK' and I wanted to celebrate by kitting the house out with a few Union Jacks, they are slowly creeping in on Mugs and Tea towels that I have bought. I also want to crochet some bunting! The above project is a 'Chunky Cross Stitch' kit. I really fancy it...but absolutely don't need it, it is so pretty though! It has been a long time since I have done any cross stitch.
Lacey (the dog) is snoring on the sofa next to me. I took her for a walk this morning, where she did her usual workout, weightlifting branches and chasing squirrels. If she doesn't go for a walk she nags and makes you feel very guilty that you haven't taken her. When you do take her she is then so tired you don't know that you have got her. Today we had the added bonus of meeting an over enthusiastic whippet. I would have put money on Lacey not wanting to chase it. She is a grump around other dogs and not at all interested in them. This whippet must have asked her nicely and she took off after it! She is a German Shepherd/Rottweiler cross, so not at all light on her feet, she is quite a heavy boned girl, this whippet gave her the total run around and I think she has exhausted herself and may not move until tomorrow. I may just have to join her. xxx

What is Orange and Rhymes with Parrot?

2012-01-10T07:26:00.000Z

Emily at Ba-gawks.blogspot.com has kindly agreed to let me share some of her photographs with you. 'Ba-gawks' is my type of place, loads of photographs of chickens and goats. I am very excited and pleased about this as I think the photographs are wonderfully creative and they make me very happy to look at. I really hope they make you smile as much as they make me smile.

Little Chicken on the prairie

Chick Peas

Chicken in a Little Mushroom Hat

Chicken and Tomato

Chicken Hood

Ahoy Jim Lad!

Chicken Flower Fashion

Helping the ill

Chicken and Sweetcorn

Warrior Chicken

Suits you Sir!

Pretty as a Picture

Wingardium Leviosa

May the Force be with You!

If you would like to see more photographs pop over and say 'Hiya' to Emily. I am off to get me some felt!

The Lord Of The Rings!

2012-01-09T21:35:00.000Z

I went for a walk at the weekend with Lacey and Euan through the 'Shire'. I tried to get some video of Lacey with a 'branch' unfortunately it seems I only recorded myself heavy breathing for two minutes...so I will spare you that. I managed to keep the rusty old shopping trolley out of shot for this photograph. This place is known as 'Pike's Pool'. I am not sure anything could live in this swampy muddy mess. The Pike would probably be radioactive. Euan wanted me to play 'The Lord of The Rings.' I was on the look out for 'Black Riders'.

I looked carefully and got allocated the part of 'Gandalf' to play. I felt very important for about three minutes.

Euan was Gimley the Dwarf. Lacey was as close to a 'Black Rider' that we got.

Then came my bitter blow. I was abruptly demoted from being 'Gandalf' and I was reappointed as "The Dwarf's Fat Mother!" Charming! Kids eh! It is a good job I love him! He is lucky he did not end up in the stinky water!

On a brighter note I spotted some catkins. I also spotted some early signs of 'May Blossom' on the Hawthorn Bushes. Gimley got bored as I tried very hard to photograph them.

I didn't quite manage a good shot here either. I really need a photography class. Take my word for it anyway...green shoots and little tiny buds. Everything looks prettier in 'the Shire' in the Spring.

This is the River Arrow. It runs through the town along through Worcestershire and joins up with The River Avon in Warwickshire, Shakespeare Country, 'Stratford Upon Avon'. I must take a trip to Stratford and get some photographs of Shakespeare's Birthplace to share with you. It is a lovely place to go shopping too!

This is our local Duck Pond. It was not a very photogenic day. We have just had some very wet and windy weather. Still no 'Black Riders'. I did spot some new shoots of 'Dogwood' though which looked very bright and cheery.

Do you want to know how I know it is 'Dogwood'? You can tell by the bark! We returned home to 'Hobbington' from our adventure, safe and well, even if one of us had a dented ego!

Check out this House, isn't it beautiful?

I thought they Love me. Chickens escaped!

2012-01-08T11:59:00.000Z

My Girls must be entering the 'Teenage Unruly Phase'. I thought they loved me. I also thought my garden was chicken proof! It seems a neighbourhood cat has been in cahoots and shown them a gap in the fence! I bet that cat is plotting something, trying to lead them astray like that. It was a tiny gap in the fence and I did not witness the act! So maybe it went something like this?

They were in the neighbours garden being 'helpful'. They were digging up his parsnips! I had to go round and apologise. Then try to catch them. In my own garden they run towards me, overjoyed to see me but in the neighbours garden, oh no! They pretended they didn't know me! I nearly had to resort to this:

A phone call to the 'Chicken Police'! Euan found the hole escapade most distressing, I found it moderately anxiety inducing and Henry thought the whole thing was pretty funny! It cost me six eggs worth of apology and now I am watching those chickens like a Hawk!

A Post about Post

2012-01-07T11:11:00.000Z

I was wondering what to write about today and then I heard the Postman squishing a packet through the letter box. We do have a 'Mailbox' but for some reason some Posties prefer to stand and squish. Inside the package was this delightful 'Deep Purple', Hand Painted 4ply yarn. I really really shouldn't be buying any more yarn, so I didn't! I am a Yarn Magnet. Just before Christmas, in a bit of an emotionally turbulent week the 'Yarn Angels' looked kindly upon me and I WON this! Whoo hoo! Go me! It was after a kind Ravelry Friend gave me the 'tip off' about 'Old Maiden Aunt Yarns' group'. Old Maiden Aunts Yarns is a company in Scotland specialising in beautiful, Hand Dyed yarns and yes, they have an online 'Shop'. I have enabled you with the above link.

As the 500th group member I was lucky enough to win this scrumptious prize. The camera really doesn't do justice to the rich, subtle shades of this yarn aptly named 'Bramble'. What a treat. A 'prize' for me, to brighten up my weekend. I am really hoping that my Mom may knit something for me,...very cheeky of me! I have just the pattern and it is one that I have seriously fallen out with! It really beat me. My Mom's knitting skills are far superior to mine and she actually gets projects completed something I can only aspire to. My Mom and Grandmother used to tell me as a child 'Lucy, you look like a Maiden Aunt!' So I feel this was destiny for me! I have an inspection at work this week so I am feeling rather stressed and preoccupied, it is seriously effecting my craft time preparing for it! I prefer my head space to be filled with Yarny goodness and fibre filled thoughts. This yarn made a timely arrival. Also in the package was something I always wanted and needed but never knew existed!

A very cute little key ring of 'Emergency Yarn'. I will feel much better knowing I have 'Emergency Yarn' on my person, this will bring me great 'Peace of Mind'.
Hope you are all having a great Weekend thanks for stopping by. X

Pie Day Friday (4) 'The Queen of Hearts' 'The Humble Tart'

2012-01-06T09:28:00.000Z

The Queen of Hearts

She made some tarts,

All on a Summers day;

The Knave of Hearts

He stole those tarts

And took them clean away.

The King of Hearts

Called for the tarts

And beat the Knave full sore.

The Knave of Hearts

Bought back those tarts

and vowed he'd steal no more.

According to Wikipedia this poem was first published in 1782. A lot of tarts have been eaten over the centuries! This little plate of Jam Tarts were made all the tastier for placing a little heart on top of each one. It is like sandwiches in this house they always taste better in triangles, rather than rectangles or squares. Everyone knows triangles taste better than squares!
Yeah it's Friday!

Rumpelstiltskin - Not quite spinning straw into gold!

2012-01-05T14:22:00.000Z

I would like to introduce you to the 'Baa Lamb Brothers'. They were a very cute Christmas present, hand made by my Mom. Euan has the white one and I have the grey one. I love their little woolly fleece. I play with therm more than Euan does! Mine will join me on my 'Spinning Adventures' for 2012. They are pictured on top of a 'Woolly' Mountain of 'Merino'. The Woolly Mountain is presenting quite a challenge...which is where the story of 'Rumpelstiltskin' springs to mind. This is part of a 10kg Bale, I ordered out of overexuberance when I first started to spin! Ooops. It was a shared purchase with my Mom so that takes me down to a 5kg Merino Mountain. Yes my Mom has a Merino Mountain of her own too. My intention is to get a large quantity of it spun ready for some Dyers Adventures in the Summer. Watch this space! Whirrr whirrrr whirrrrr! (That is the wheel going around!) The Lady that initially 'taught' me how to spin said to me after about twenty frustrating minutes, "You'll get there, but you are not exactly 'Rumpelstiltskin'!" I thought that was very funny. Especially as the lady made a deal that if she couldn't get me spinning she would jump into the brook! I think she had a few moments where she thought her feet would be getting wet!

Ah! Ahem, yes another fibre Mountain! Tis lovely. A momento from our Summer 'Alpaca Adventure' at Cotswold Vale Alpacas Lovely Crimpy Locks of goodness. It is quite different to spin compared to wool. I have experimented, as I really fancy a light floaty shawl in 100% Alpaca.

This sample is 'Navajo Plied' so it is a 3ply yarn and anything but light and floaty. I am not overly proud of this yarn as it is very uneven due to my inexperience with Alpaca and Navajo Ply. I love it, but I know it is not technically great. I would like to experiment felting thicker Alpaca yarn. This would make a very dense fabric, ideal for a bag.

This is what is currently on 'The Bobbin'. 'Clamour for Glamour', a delicious hand painted 'Yummy Yarn' Fibre.

You gotta start the year as you mean to go on...look at me...all that 'Glamour'. I still can't quite spin 'Straw into Gold' but I can manage a bit of 'Glamour' quite nicely, even if the only thing that is glamorous about me is what's on my bobbin!

Lucy Van Pelt - Thought For The day!

2012-01-04T07:36:00.000Z

You gotta love this gal!

Back to it!

2012-01-03T12:08:00.001Z

Back to work tomorrow! Boo!

Christmas Tree Down and Packed Away - Check

Baubles Dusted off for another year and packed away - Check

Fairy Lights packed for another Year - Check

Festive Bunting Folded and stashed - Check

Frosty the Cheesy Snowman Boxed away for another year - Check

Snow globes and Mr Frost Russian Dolls safely Stashed - Check

Cards stashed for next years crafts - Check

Festive Chocolates Eaten - Must try harder

Christmas Cake Eaten - Now where did I put that Christmas Cake?

Laundry Mountain - OMG

Vacuuming the daily 'Dust Bunnies' - hmmm will get round to it...

Feeding Offspring - Well there are still some Twiglets, Candy Canes and KP Nuts left!

New stash stashed - I am still admiring it!

Chicken Coop Cleaned and beautified - Check

Oh no! There is the Christmas Pudding - Check

Nag kids to tidy their belongings - Check

Tidy Living Room - I know it's in here somewhere...

Sort school bags and clothes - where are they?

Avoid Christmas Alcoholic Tipples however tempting - Or then Nothing on this list will get done

Work work - Always last on the list

Play newly discovered 'Motivational Music' to Clean to...Very weird but it works!!!
( I 'Stumbled' Across this on 'StumbleUpon').

Music to Clean By!

Hopefully when the above list has been accounted for I may have a 'Crafty' bit of me time!

Blogging 'New Years Resolutions' - How to Increase your Blog Traffic - Reasons to Use 'Stumbleupon'

2012-01-02T10:47:00.002Z

I am amazed I have been blogging for almost a year. That is a long time to stick at something for someone like me with the attention span of a butterfly. It enjoy 'the technology of keeping an 'Online Journal/Diary'. It has just become part of what I do. I am a little ashamed to say though I am motivated by Blog Traffic. I would hate to be wittering away to myself. At the last peep at my 'Flag Counter' I have had visitors from 117 different countries...Belize being the last country to pop over. That is over half of the countries on the Globe. I may stop when I have collected them all! I would like to keep blogging and to keep increasing my traffic.

Where does 'Stumbleupon' fit in to all of this and why use it?

Three Reasons to Explore Stumbleupon:

1) Stumbleupon 'help you to explore new and interesting things from every corner of the web'. You narrow down your interests, hit the stumble key and you are taken to all sorts of places you would never have found.

2) It is a great way to share your Blog Content with a wider Audience by submitting pages that you would like to drive blog traffic to.

3) It is another place for connecting and networking with other bloggers.

Stumbleupon is free and very easy to start using...I limit myself to a few 'Stumbles' a day as it is highly addictive!

http://www.stumbleupon.com/

If you do sign up let me know so I can connect with you on Stumbleupon. It would be fun to see you there. I am hoping it will also help me to find the other half of the globe audience! I am finding lots of innovative craft ideas over there and also some brilliant recipes:

I love this Crochet Doily Lamp

I must make these 'Peanut Butter and Oreo Brownie Cakes too!

I think Euan could make this Hula Hoop Rug

This is clever - How to Make a Lunchbox from a Milk Carton

We thought our Paper Snowflakes were cool, but these are out of this world and you can download the templates from the site Here:

I could go on and on and on...over at Stumbledupon you save a list of all your likes and when you connect with others you can see and 'Stumble' all their likes... Try it, I think you might just like it!

January the 1st 'Happy New Year'!

2012-01-01T17:36:00.000Z

"2011" Looking back and Looking Forward "2012"

2011-12-31T14:59:00.000Z

Looking back over 2011 we have had some 'Adventures'. What a busy year, all those adventures made us hungry! I hope we have even more 'Adventures' in 2012. What a Blast!

And thirsty hic!...I tried to use as much of my homegrown ingredients as possible. Did somebody mention 'Healthy Eating Plan'? Oh no! Not for 2012!

I hope my Garden is good to me in 2012. 'As you sow so you reap.'

These were a great addition in 2011. I hope they continue to stay healthy and have as much fun as they do now in 2012. Long Live the Chickens and may there eggs be plentiful!

I hope there is lots more 'Hooky' time waiting for me in 2012.

I would also like to keep spinning. (I really need the cupboard space).

Happy New Year and Best wishes for 2012.

Lots of Love

Lucy xxx

Pie Day Friday (3) - Delicious Calzone

2011-12-30T09:19:00.000Z

My word is it 'Pie Day Friday' already? I followed the recipe exactly from my 'New' Hairy Biker Pie Making 'Bible.

Calzone is basically and inside out Pizza. You use a Pizza dough like a 'Pasty Shell' and put all you Pizza topping inside as a filling. Henry's High School canteen sells them as 'Pizza Pockets'. They are very portable and would make a great lunchtime snack for 'Teenagers' with places to go and people to see.
They use a basic Pizza Dough. I made these once before but they were not a hit as the dough was about 3cm thick. This time I got it right and used the rolling pin to roll out the dough to about half a cm.

I wanted to get creative with the topping/filling but kept to the recipe, which turned out delicious. I found it useful to assemble all my ingredients together in smaller bowls as soon as the dough had been put to rise. The Kitchen looked like a bomb had hit it, but these are really worth the effort.

Tomato Sauce:
Finely Chop an Onion and fry it gently until it starts to brown. Add one clove of finely chopped garlic. Cook for one minute. Add 1 tin of chopped tomatoes and a teaspoon of sugar. Let it cool.

Fry 150g of finely sliced Mushrooms in butter until they start to brown and let them cool.

I had some pepperoni in the fridge but in future would keep these 'Vegetarian'.

Two Mozzarella Balls, drained and diced.

Ground Black Pepper for seasoning.

Fresh Basil leaves.

Assemble your Pizza Topping, then I used water to moisten around the edge of the dough so it would stick when I folded it over.

Make sure the Calzone is sealed well to keep all those flavours in while they cook. Bake in a hot oven for 15 - 20 minutes. I made eight of these lovlies. Very tasty, economical and filling...might make a change from turkey :)

Funky Hooks

2011-12-29T10:45:00.000Z

I think 'Etsy' is great, in this World of Mass produced I enjoy looking at items made by individuals who are often highly skilled at their craft. Without the Internet I would not know half of these items were 'Out there'. Obviously these hooks are the 'Bees Knees' in terms of 'Crochet Chic', but they are also incredibly practical as they really increase the comfort factor of the hook, (no, it is not in my imagination!) I sometimes get aching joints in my hands from 'too much Crochet'....I know you can not have such a thing as 'too much Crochet'...but these hooks are so comfortable they have reduced the aches and pains. You decide what size hook you want and what design and colour you would like to snazz it up. The 'Artist' is:
Berit Hines.
Etsy Seller 'ClayImages'
The Following is only a selection of Berit's work, she makes a lot more than the selection I have chosen to show you:

Very Cute Cat

The Angel of Crochet (We could all do with One of those!)

Pretties

I like the Witches

How Adorable 'Penguins'

What Cheerful little Snowmen.

Whale

Killer Whale

Very very cute eh? If you do get tempted, please don't forget to share with me what you decide to go for...

Very Random 'Post Christmas Blog Post'

2011-12-28T18:38:00.000Z

The Oasis is and always will be, a totally unique aspect of Birmingham's personality. We offer everything from tattoos to tutus, beads to boots, and everything else in-between!
The Oasis - Birmingham As a kid in the 1980s this was my favourite place. I would travel to Birmingham on the train and spend hours in this place. I could buy clothes that I couldn't find in my home town, usually Kaftans imported from India with bells, mirrors, tassels and gold paint on them. I could also buy beads and bangles, earings, groovy jeans, boots, incense etc. I liked the eclectic mix of folks it attracted Punks with colourful Mohicans and alternative make up, rockers and hippy types. This was and still is the place to go if you want anything funky, from hairstyles, to your anatomy pierced or tattooed, clothes and jewellery. My kids had Christmas Money burning a hole in their pocket, Henry wanted to go to 'The Oasis' for his first time and Euan wanted to go to a specialist Retro and Nostalgia Comic Shop. Visiting 'Oasis' for the first time in over twenty years as a 'Mom' was a strange experience.
I find it quite an ordeal now to go to Birmingham with two kids in tow we decided to brave it. I like to get up early and go before the crowds, needless to say that was the first mistake of the day, getting the teenager up early. Phew was he a grump! Euan was very excited about going on the train, he also gets quite anxious about it and worries about the platforms and missing the train and getting lost etc so he is quite hyper.

His brother was the opposite and barely awake. Euan did not like Henry putting his feet on the seats and gave him a thorough telling off! This didn't go down well but I backed Euan and explained it is not very community spirited as people have to sit on the seats and most people like to keep their clothes clean. Grumpy teenager turned Sulky teenager. They bickered for nearly the whole journey, policing each other, but I was ready for this:

I made three on the journey there and three on the journey back. I will take this opportunity to show you my beautious new hook:

Euan calls it my 'Death Hook'. I love working with it. Crochet does Grunge!
To be honest this little bag of Yarn saved my sanity today, all the bickering went right over my woolly little head!

Birmingham was not too busy today, I don't like crowds. Henry did not like me taking photographs. He said I was making a fool of myself and looking like a tourist! I was not allowed to take too many and the ones I did I sneaked when he wasn't looking. We had five minutes to wait for 'Oasis' to open so I admired the window displays.

You can't really see from the photograph but this cushion is machine embroidered. Cool.

This Knitted Love and Peace Cushion is fantastic too. I am a great one for seeing things and thinking I can do that! I really think I could manage that!

Very cute Sesame Street hat and gloves. May look a bit too silly on me though!

Inside the shop this bike caught Euan's eye. Henry cheered up and found himself some 'Love and Peace' Bracelets, a CND studded belt and a Bob Marley T' Shirt. He also got a very cool vintage black Levi Jacket. I drew the line at 'The Middle Finger Patch' he wanted to sew on it! Am I getting old? I reminded him Bob Marley was a chilled dude and not crabby! We paced around the entire three or four floors of the place at least twice! Euan had great fun reading rude slogans on T shirts!
I sneaked a photograph of this Poncho - now I could do that! I think Poncho's are hip and happenin! I love the mix on this one of knitting and crochet.

I needed a Cup of Tea and a Pit Stop before finding the shop Euan wanted, again this incurred the wrath of Henry, he told me he would never come to Birmingham with me and Euan again! He sulked a little bit more in the cafe...Euan and I slurped our drinks in oblivion!
Euan loves the comic shop and blew half of his Christmas money on Star Wars figures, he is loving them and playing with them now. Henry is upstairs listening to Bob Marley. He found some CDs in a Reggae Music Store. We had lunch in the Chinese Restaurant that I went to for my 40th Birthday 'The Big Wok'. It is an all you can eat Chinese Buffet. The last time we went we all walked painfully back to the train station after sampling rather too much of the eighty dishes. Today I did things in moderation, I only sampled about forty! I made sure that included some healthy stuff like Tofu and mushrooms...we will forget about the deep fried stuff that I ate! Somehow Euan had room for the help yourself ice cream machine too. He did complain a bit on the train on the way home.

I sneaked this photograph of the Birmingham Rotunda. (That is Henry's hat on the right.) I used to call the Rotunda 'The Coca Cola Tower' as for years it had the 'Coca Cola' Logo all around the top.
We arrived at the station to see the back end of our train disappearing, much to Euan's dismay. We explained there would be another in half an hour. He spent the next 30 minutes asking 'How long is half an hour?' On the journey home Henry retracted his statement about never going to Birmingham with Euan and I again. I thought that was sweet! They are both happy to be home with their goodies. Apart from the six Granny Squares what else do I have to show for my day? Not a tattoo, not a piercing, but:

I am definitely getting old aren't I?

All Hands and Claws on Deck - There is Work to be Done

2011-12-24T11:11:00.000Z

The boys have been 'enjoying' each others company and watching 'The Lord Of The Rings'. The Girls have been helping Mommy with the Festive preparations. To repay me for their nice clean coop and copious amounts of deep warm straw they decided to help me in the garden. Today's job was digging for Parsnips to roast for Christmas Lunch. They had great fun pecking and scratching and their was much vocalising at our haul.

I will deliver some parsnips to my parents later.

The Girls took their duties very seriously and were rewarded with the odd juicy worm.
I also picked some Parsley and Sage for the Chestnut Stuffing.

Oh Dear it's that Chicken and Sage thing again! Bad thoughts, Baaaddd Thoughts!

Daisy was the best and digging and really was fascinated by parsnips being removed from the ground.

Poppy prefers to show off, positioning herself as high as she can and preen.

And Little Rosie prefers to perch on my back and shoulder, watching what I am up to and chattering in my ear.

I pointed the camera over my shoulder and clicked, while she cooed, bocced and brupped in fascination.

I was actually walking around the garden having a full on conversation with a chatty chicken on my shoulder. A lovely Christmas Eve Morning. These three will be Happy Hens for Christmas.

Teatime Treats Blogging Challenge -December 'Festive Mince Pie Somosas'

2011-12-23T23:22:00.000Z

I have my entry ready for this fun Blogging Challenge 'Teatime Treats' hosted by Kate at 'What Kate Baked' and Karen at 'Lavender and Lovage'. This month the theme is 'Christmas'.
My Festive little offering is a newly invented creation by moi and let me tell you they have gone down a storm in this house. Let me reveal...in true Willy Wonka genius style (apart from there is no Chocolate!)
'Mince Pie Somosas.' Yeah Baby Yeah!
These are a cheeky little twist on the old Festive favourite. If you are greedy then can be eaten in one substantial mouthful, if you are more demure, you can have two tasty little bites, or just go how the mood takes you! They are delicious hot or cold.
Ingredients
250g of Plain Flour
1 egg (from your bestest clucky friends) Separate the egg.
2tbls of vegetable oil
Water to make a dough
1tsp of ground mixed spice

Filling
1 Jar of Mincemeat

Method
Add the egg yolk, oil and spice to the flour, mix quickly to make a breadcrumb like mixture. Add enough water to make a smooth dough. Roll out onto a floured surface, to about 3mm thickness. Cut out Circles and cut each circle in half. Using the egg white to seal the Somosas wrap the semi circle into a cone, place 1tsp of the Mincemeat inside the cone and use more egg white to seal the edge by pinching. Deep fry in small batches until golden. Drain on Kitchen Paper and sprinkle with Caster Sugar.

Happy Pie Day Friday (2) - Tasty Vegetable Somosas

2011-12-23T09:58:00.000Z

I was delighted to find a 'Hairy Biker' Somosa Recipe in my New Bible of Pie Making. I will take the opportunity to just flash you another picture of the 'Sacred Text' here:

Oops! Sorry wrong Picture....

Aaah, that's the one...this is a truly spiffing book.

I would be delighted over the festivities to find Authentic Indian Food on offer. In fact I would cheerfully eat these Somosas in place of much of the 'traditional' Christmas foods. Supermarkets do sell ready made Somosas but they are disappointing imposters. I always though 'Somosa' making was out of my league, until I discovered this recipe (Which as usual, I have adapted a wee bitty bit!). I can't believe how simple these are to make.

Ingredients

For the Pastry

250g of Plain Flour

1 egg ( from your bestest Clucky Friends) Separated in to the Yolk and the white.

1 tsp of salt

2 tbls of vegetable oil

75 - 150 mls of warm water

For the Filling

1 Onion finely chopped

2 Cloves of Garlic finely chopped

1 Medium Potato (diced)

1 Sweet Potato (diced)

50g of Frozen Peas

2tsp of Garam Masala

1 tsp of Chillie Flakes

50ml water

The Juice of 1 Lemon

Salt and pepper

fresh Coriander

Method

Gently fry the onion until it is soft. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add the potato, Sweet potato and the spices and fry gently for five minutes. Add the water, lemon juice and peas, cook gently until the potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Leave to cool. When Cool stir in chopped fresh coriander.

The pastry is very easy to make. Put the egg yolk, flour, oil and salt into a bowl. Mix lightly until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add enough water to make a ball of 'pastry dough'. Roll out the pastry so it is approximately 3mm thick. Cut into rounds (I used a tea plate). Cut the rounds in to semi circles. To fill, fold the semi circles in to cones, half fill with the filling and use the egg white as 'glue' to seal each somosa. Deep Fry the Somosas in small batches for 4-5 minutes and drain on Kitchen paper.

I enjoyed mine dipped in Home made 'Tamarind Sauce'. I will definitely be making these again and will experiment with Aloo Chana Chaat (Chick pea and Potato Curry as a filling). I will let you experiment with whatever filling you like. I am thinking of making my 'Mince Pies' Somosa style today.

Delicious 'Festive Nut Roast'

2011-12-22T18:39:00.000Z

Last week after the 'Vegetarian Debate' in this house I think we have decided to be 'Part time Omnivores'. This has already taken effect and involves reducing the meat that is consumed in the house. Last week I made my first 'Nut Roast' in years. I was very pleased with the results it had a great flavour, sliced well and made a substantial meat-free main meal. I decided to create this 'Festive Version' for the holidays.
This is a hearty, nutritious 'Festive Nut Roast' flavoured with Cranberries, Chutney and Mixed Spice. It is delicious served as a roast meal and is equally delicious served cold with pickles. It will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days. It can be mixed in advance and kept in the fridge until ready to roast. It also freezes well. A very versatile Vegetarian option, perfect for the festivities.

Ingredients
400g Wholemeal Bread crumbs
600g Chopped Mix Nuts
100g Dried Cranberries
1 large courgette (grated)
2 Carrots (grated, no need to peel)
1 large onion (grated)
3 tablespoons of a good quality Chutney (I used Tomato and Chilli Jam)
2 tsp of Dried Mixed Herbs
1 heaped tsp of Ground Mixed Spice
Salt and Pepper (Season well)
4 Eggs (from you bestest clucky friends)
2 tablespoons of Olive oil

Method
Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until all the ingredients are really well combined. I use my hands. Turn the mixture into a buttered roasting tin or loaf tins. Cook in a medium to hot oven for 1hr 30 mins. Check the Nut Roast to ensure it isn't burning and adjust the oven accordingly or cover the top with tin foil.. It is good to make sure the Nuts are roasted throughout the dish as this brings out maximum flavour. It smells so good while it is Roasting. Serve hot with vegetables and a Vegetarian Gravy. It is also delicious to serve cold in slices or chunks with pickles, crackers and cheese.

On the Craft Front, Euan is collecting UFO's (Unfinished Objects) at the almost the same rate as his Mom! He has several Yarny things on the go too. Today we had a quiet moment of fun using this book:

We have not had the snow that the 'Weatherman' practically promised us, so we have had to make our own, ours is very pretty.

Egg and Lemon Soup (Avgolemono) - A New One On Me!

2011-12-21T22:03:00.000Z

I have finally broken up from work for the festivities, I am finding it is quite a difficult time of year to actually relax. Today could not be a PJ and Crochet Day as I had shopping to do. Euan was a superstar accompanying me to two supermarkets without complaint...we did have lunch at one of them and it was nice to sit and chat together....for a change!!! My Dad used to say I was like 'A bit of Sticky Toffee Paper' towards him and now I have a 'Euan' I can really relate to what Daddy meant! I love family time if I don't have a lot to do...I need to slow down and chillax and make the most of the holidays now without stressing. I have been doing a lot of 'stress baking' this last week, it is a form of procrastination from housework and makes even more mess, but I am happy while I am doing it. I feel a few 'New Years Resolutions' coming on already.
I used to read a Newspaper every day, but now I read the 'News' quickly online and read lots of Blogs. I came across a brand new blog last week when Yvonne from Domestic Bliss introduced herself to me in 'Blogland'. Yvonne is Scottish and living in Cyprus. She posted a recipe here that intrigued me. It is described as a 'Greek Cypriot Traditional Winter Warming Soup', I really needed a 'Winter Warmer'. I like the concept of very simple food and I like trying 'New to me' foods. My version of the recipe made enough for myself as nobody fancied 'Egg and Lemon Soup'. I thoroughly 'googled' it and read all about it on 'Wikipedia'. It is a very traditional and widely eaten soup.

Ingredients
500mls of water
1 vegetable stock cube
25g of Basmati Rice (you can also use pasta or tapioca)
1 egg (from your bestest clucky buddies)
The juice of 1 lemon
Cinnamon for sprinkling on top ( I got confused and used Nutmeg!!! Doh)

Method
Boil the water, rice and the stock cube. Mix the egg and lemon juice together thoroughly. Add a tablespoon at a time of the hot stock to the egg and lemon mixture until you have approximately 200mls of mixture. Stirring constantly add the egg and lemon to the soup. It should thicken the soup smoothly without curdling. Sprinkle with the spice of your choice! Eat while nice and hot. Very economical and nutritious. Some foods you can feel are doing you good when you eat them. This is a good healthy soup. I will experiment again by using Orzo pasta and a few vegetables.

Brilliant Recipe For 'Easy Christmas Cake'

2011-12-19T19:12:00.000Z

I came across this great recipe for 'Easy Christmas Cake'...I might just give this a go! Enjoy.

Easy Christmas cake

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 stick butter
1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
Lemon juice
4 large eggs
Nuts
2 bottles wine
2 cups of dried fruit.

Method:

First, sample the wine to check the quality. Take a large bowl, check
the wine again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level
cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer. Beat o…ne cup of
butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.
At this point it’s best to make sure the wine is still OK. Try another
cup… Just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 eggs and add
to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Pick the frigging
fruit up off floor. Mix on the turner.. If the fried druit gets stuck
in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the wine
to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something.
Check the wine. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one
table. Add a spoon of sugar, or some fink. Whatever you can find.
Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall
over. Don’t forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl
through the window. Finish the wine and wipe counter with the cat. Go
to Tesco and buy cake .

Ooo! Oo! Exciting Blog Award

2011-12-18T21:03:00.002Z

Ooo Oooo! How exciting, I have been nominated for a Blog Award, by the lovely Nicole at the her Blog of Yarny Lovliness;

Nicole And The Bee. Thank you. The Liebster Blog Award is for Upcoming Blogs with less than 200 followers. Now I have the grand duty of passing it on to five other Fab and Groovy Blogs. What a tough thing to do. I read so many blogs that to pick only five favourites is a really hard job.

My First Blog Award Nomination is for Teresa Kasner there is something so homely and welcoming about Teresa's Blog. I learn a lot from popping there regularly. Teresa shares her beautiful home and family and documents her very full and busy life. Her photography and craft work is always an inspiration. It has been beautiful to follow through the seasons and holidays. In a recent post Teresa tells you how to make one of these adorable snowmen. Who can resist?

My second Blog Award Nomination is for Knits and Crosses. This Blog has to be the one that has had me laughing the most. I am particularly a fan of Sarah's Cookery Posts. I also think she is an incredibly talented lady, her knitting and more recently her weaving are really inspiring and innovative. It is the best blog in my opinion for showcasing textiles from a 'Rigid Heddle' loom. Her recent experiment weaving with scrap fibres have had beautiful results and her enthusiasm is infectious. I am always interested to see what Sarah has been up to and her posts are varied and educational. I love the textiles she creates and also the sewing projects she shares. The above picture is from a recent post of a 'Prodigal Project' that was in long term hibernation. It is a scrap blanket that has recently been completed and I think you will agree it is a beauty.

My third Award Nomination is to Chalky's World. This is another inspirational Blog where I learn a lot. The above picture is a small sample of the charity work that Linda undertakes. Here knitting needles and crochet hooks must be smoking hot with work. Linda makes toys for children, scarves for Japan, knitted and crochet squares for blankets, Hedgehogs by the dozen for 'Tiggywinkles' Wildlife Hospital, baby clothes and she also makes beautiful projects for her friends and family. It is amazing what a difference you can make to other people through craft. We have been awaiting exciting news from Chalky's world...a special arrival is due any day. He will be thoroughly loved and spoiled. I also love Linda's cookery posts and I must make the 'Chocolate Pizza' some day soon.

I really did say Chocolate Pizza.

I have taught myself new stitches and patterns from Linda's easy to understand and useful tutorials. I am always interested to see what is Linda's latest creation.

My Fourth Blog Award Nomination is for Grateful 4 Crochet. This is another blog where I am never sure what to expect. We have been to Fairyland (several times) and had a Fairy Party, I like Fairy land particularly the Fairy Crowns.

I want a Fairy Crown!

I also enjoyed a recent trip to an Art Gallery, there were some fantastic 'illicit' photographs. There is also a wide variety of Crochet Projects to peruse...my kind of blog :)

My fifth and final Blog Award Nomination goes to Different Choices. I have really enjoyed Becks sharing her families December. I have enjoyed the Christmas build up with her children, the simple pleasures in life. Popcorn Garlands, Paper Snowflakes, Tree Ornaments, Seasonal Painting and Advent Tree Decorating. I love the photographs of the children engrossed in their wide variety of crafts and creations. Becks Home Educates her children and I am envious of this lifestyle. Judging by the Blog the children are exposed to a fantastic education, sharing and appreciating family time together. Not a hint of gratuitous materialism in sight, very hard to achieve in this modern world with a young family. This blog reminds me not to overlook the simple things in life and how valuable it is to take time to 'smell the roses' and slow down a little and spend genuine quality time with our little ones.

I feel a bit sad to have only five choices because there are so many blogs out there that I really enjoy, I could so easily have nominated more more more! If I have missed you out please don't think I don't love you! Do dip in to my 'Blog List' that you can see on the left hand side of my blog as you can visit some fantastic blogs written by some really talented, interesting and 'funny' people. xxx

How to make Clove Orange Pomanders

2011-12-17T20:10:00.001Z

You will Need:
1 Small bored Child (Optional)
Oranges
Whole Cloves (They are much cheaper to buy from our local Asian Store)
Elastic bands
Ribbon
Ground Cinnamon

Method:
Poke cloves into oranges and tie with ribbon. Rub with ground cinnamon for extra festive scent. That is basically it. Euan used cocktail sticks to pierce his orange before sticking in the clove. I just poked the cloves straight in. I used the elastic bands to leave space for the ribbon.

I would like to say I am proud of my son for making this one...it is a fantastic little festive activity for children...sadly though this is my messy Pomander. I would really like some narrow red ribbon to tie neatly around it, I will also use a make up brush to brush excess cinnamon away. It is a bit of a rush job! Tut tut. My son is disgusted and says it is a mess! It smells really good hidden at the back of the Christmas Tree though Euan is still working on his 24 hours later...

His is very neat and his approach is really methodical. I have told him I would like to show his neat Cloved Orange on my blog when it is finished, as mine is such a scruffy example. Now he is working extra carefully on it! Henry and I are pretty slap dash and scruffy...Euan and his Dad are very neat and meticulous...it can often make for 'fireworks' in the house! It takes all sorts to make a world. I can remember my Mom making these Pomanders when I was a child and she would make them a few weeks before Christmas. I think they lived in paper bags in the airing cupboard where they dry out nicely. They will keep for months dried, but they are an instant hit of 'Orange and Spice' aroma fresh. You can also make them with Lemons too, which I might try next year.

Happy 'Pie Day' Friday - Or should it be 'Pie Eyed Day' Friday?

2011-12-16T16:00:00.000Z

The Hairy Biker 'Perfect Pies' book has over 140 recipes...so on my first Pie Day Friday I ignore the book and make up my own pies! The definition of 'Pie' in the book is anything in a crust or wrapped in a crust, so the definition is pretty loose and includes, flans, potato topped pies, somosa's etc. The Somosa recipes look great. Yesterday I made Vegetable Pasties ready for today and my other half has taken one to work. I made enough Pastry to make a pastry case too, so today I made a simple quiche. I experimented with Cream Cheese and eggs, rather than the usual eggs, milk and grated cheddar cheese. I invented 'Celery and Mushroom Quiche with Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese'. I don't think it would win any prizes for appearance but it is pretty tasty and was very quick to make. My camera is not on the blink, it really is that yellow, I can only assume this is due to the superior quality of my 'buddies' offerings.

Ingredients:
1 Pastry Case
200g of Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese
2 Sticks of Celery sliced very finely
10-12 Button Mushrooms Finely Diced
2 eggs (preferably freshly laid by your bestest chicken buddies)

Method:
I gently fried the mushrooms and celery until they were soft. I put these in the pastry case. In a separate bowl I mixed the eggs and cream cheese until thoroughly blended and poured this into the pastry case over the celery and mushrooms. Bake the quiche in a hot oven for 25 - 30 minutes.

I have also been busy making one of my favourite Christmas Tipples 'Irish Cream'. I have never made it before, but Christmas isn't Christmas without a bottle of 'Baileys' Irish Cream. I watched a program called 'Superscrimpers Christmas Special'. If this is scrimping I am more than happy to scrimp away.
Super Scrimpers Party Food Recipes, including Irish Cream can be found here:

I promise these are tiny glasses. I have started to sip mine. I think in this case 'Home made' really is best. I have poured a glass for you, if you are not here within the hour I am afraid I will have to drink yours too. Cheers!